Method and Apparatus for Monitoring Diet and Activity

• US 20150302160A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education (State of Nevada)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education (State of Nevada)
• Inventors: Trabia, Mohamed B., Muthukumar, Venkatesan, Inouye, Jillian
• Application Number:
  US14/692,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302160A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/68 Food, e.g. fruit or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A method and apparatus includes a memory, a display and user input module, a camera and micro spectroscopy module, and one or more communication modules communicably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to capture one or more images and spectroscopy data of the food(s) using the camera and micro spectroscopy module, determine a food type and food amount for each of the food(s) using the image(s) and spectroscopy data, perform a dietary analysis of the food(s) based on the food type and food amount determined from the image(s) and spectroscopy data, determine the set of nutritional data for the food(s) based on the dietary analysis, and provide the set of nutritional data for the food(s) to the memory, the display and user input module or the one or more communication modules.

Claims

1. A computerized method for providing a set of nutritional data for one or more foods, comprising the steps of:

providing a portable device comprising a memory, a display and user input module, a camera and micro spectroscopy module, and one or more communication modules communicably coupled to a processor;

capturing one or more images and spectroscopy data of the one or more foods using the camera and micro spectroscopy module;

determining a food type and a food amount for each of the one or more foods using the one or more images and spectroscopy data;

performing a dietary analysis of the one or more foods based on the food type and the food amount determined from the one or more images and spectroscopy data;

determining the set of nutritional data for the one or more foods based on the dietary analysis; and

providing the set of nutritional data for the one or more foods to the memory, the display and user input module or the one or more communication modules.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, the portable device further comprising one or more sensors communicably coupled to the processor and the method further comprises the step of monitoring one or more biological indicators of a user using the one or more sensors.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, the one or more biological indicators comprising an exercise activity, a sleep pattern, a stress level, a temperature or a combination thereof.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, the one or more sensors comprising an accelerometer, a heart rate monitor, a thermometer or a combination thereof.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

analyzing the one or more biological indicators; and

providing a result of the analysis of one or more biological indicators to the memory, the display and user input module or the one or more communication modules.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the one or more images and spectroscopy data.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the set of nutritional data.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the one or more images from the portable device to a remote device;

performing the steps of determining the food type and the food amount for each of the one or more foods using the one or more images and spectroscopy data, performing the dietary analysis of the one or more foods based on the food type and the food amount determined from the one or more images and spectroscopy data, and determining the set of nutritional data for the one or more foods based on the dietary analysis using the remote device; and

receiving the set of nutritional data from remote device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, the remote device comprises a portable computing device, a desktop or laptop computer, a mobile phone, an electronic tablet, or a server computer.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, the portable device further comprising a flash, a laser, an infrared proximity sensor communicably coupled to the processor or the camera.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, the processor having a clock function, a timer function or both.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, the portable device further comprising a global positioning module communicably coupled to the processor.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a battery.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, the battery further comprising a recharging port connected to the battery, or a battery recharger connected to the battery that recharges the battery using electromagnetic fields, motion or solar energy.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, the display and user input module comprises one or more displays, one or more buttons, one or more touch screen, or a combination thereof.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, the one or more communication modules comprising a wireless communication module, an infrared module, a cable connector, or a combination thereof.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of confirming the food type and the food amount.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of requesting an additional information from a user.

19. An apparatus for providing a set of nutritional data for one or more foods comprising:

a portable device housing;

a processor disposed within the portable device housing;

a memory disposed within the portable device housing and communicably coupled to the processor;

a display and user input module disposed on the portable device housing and communicably coupled to the processor;

a camera disposed on the portable device housing and communicably coupled to the processor;

a near infrared spectroscopy module disposed on the portable device housing and communicably coupled to the processor;

one or more communication modules disposed on or within the portable device housing and communicably coupled to the processor; and

the processor configured to capture one or more images of the one or more foods using the camera and a near infrared spectroscopy data of the one or more foods using the near infrared spectroscopy module, determine a food type and a food amount for each of the one or more foods using the one or more images and near infrared spectroscopy data, perform a dietary analysis of the one or more foods based on the food type and food amount determined from the one or more images and the near infrared spectroscopy data, determine the set of nutritional data for the one or more foods based on the dietary analysis, and provide the set of nutritional data for the one or more foods to the memory, the display and user input module or the one or more communication modules.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising one or more sensors disposed on or within the portable device housing and communicably coupled to the processor, and the processor is further configured to monitor one or more biological indicators of a user using the one or more sensors.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 20, the one or more biological indicators comprising an exercise activity, a sleep pattern, a stress level, a temperature or a combination thereof.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 20, the one or more sensors comprising an accelerometer, a heart rate monitor, a thermometer or a combination thereof.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 20, the processor further configured to analyze the one or more biological indicators and provide a result of the analysis of one or more biological indicators to the memory, the display and user input module or the one or more communication modules.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, the processor further configured to store the one or more images and the near infrared spectroscopy data.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, the processor further configured to store the set of nutritional data.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, the processor further configured to transmit the one or more images and the near infrared spectroscopy data to a remote device, and receive the set of nutritional data from the remote device, wherein the remote device is configured to determine the food type and the food amount for each of the one or more foods using the one or more images and the near infrared spectroscopy data, perform a dietary analysis of the one or more foods based on the food type and food amount determined from the one or more images and the near infrared spectroscopy data, and determine the set of nutritional data for the one or more foods based on the dietary analysis.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 26, the remote device comprises a portable computing device, a desktop or laptop computer, a mobile phone, an electronic tablet, or a server computer.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising a flash, a laser, an infrared proximity sensor disposed on the portable device housing and communicably coupled to the processor or the camera.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, the processor having a clock function, a timer function or both.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising a global positioning module disposed within the portable device housing and communicably coupled to the processor.

31. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising a battery disposed within the portable device housing.

32. The apparatus as recited in claim 31, the battery further comprising a recharging port connected to the battery, or a battery recharger connected to the battery that recharges the battery using electromagnetic fields, motion or solar energy.

33. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, the display and user input module comprises one or more displays, one or more buttons, one or more touch screen, or a combination thereof.

34. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, the one or more communication modules comprising a wireless communication interface, an infrared module, a cable connector, or a combination thereof.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, the processor further configured to confirm the food type and the food amount.

36. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, the processor further configured to request an additional information from a user.