Nutritional aid and method of operating the same

• US 5,691,927 A
• Filed: 08/26/1994
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carolyn Gump
• Original Assignee: Carolyn Gump
• Inventors: Gump, Carolyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong D.
• Application Number:
  US08/296,759
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 364/706, 364/709.01, 364/709.03, 364/709.14, 364/709.15, 364/413.29, 364/709.02, 364/709.12
• US Class Current: 708/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/025 adapted to a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

An instrument, preferably hand-held and hand-operated, for quickly and efficiently assisting in the determination of important nutritional information, such as the percentage of protein, fat and carbohydrates consumed during a given period of time, as well as the total calories consumed. The instrument may preferably operate in accordance with the principle of "food exchanges" and may also preferably include a capability for precise numerical entry of various nutritional quantities. In accordance with at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the instrument may be shaped in the manner of a "food pyramid" and contain sections reminiscent of the sections of a typical "food pyramid".

Claims

1. A device for rendering numerical manipulations of data relating to personal nutrition, said device comprising:

first keyboard means, said first keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys, each of said plurality of keys corresponding to a different predetermined food exchange, wherein such a food exchange corresponds to a predetermined grouping of foodstuffs;

memory means for storing numerical values corresponding to a predetermined set of nutritional quantities associated with each food exchange;

first calculating means, said first calculating means having means for rendering numerical manipulations in response to manual activation of at least one of said plurality of keys of said first keyboard means;

first means for displaying, said first means for displaying having means for displaying at least two numerical values each corresponding, respectively, to at least two nutritional quantities, wherein one of said nutritional quantities is the approximate cumulative caloric level accumulated since a given starting time;

second keyboard means, said second keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys;

second calculating means, said second calculating means having means for rendering numerical manipulations in response to manual activation of at least one of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means;

each of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means being configured to enter, into said second calculating means, at least a user'"'"'s weight; and

second displaying means, said second displaying means having means for displaying at least one numerical value corresponding at least to a recommended daily caloric intake for losing a predetermined amount of weight per week.

2. A method of operating a device for rendering numerical manipulations of data relating to personal nutrition, such a device comprising:

first keyboard means, said first keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys, each of said plurality of keys corresponding to a different predetermined food exchange, wherein such a food exchange corresponds to a predetermined grouping of foodstuffs;

memory means for storing numerical values corresponding to a predetermined set of nutritional quantities associated with each food exchange;

first calculating means, said first calculating means having means for rendering numerical manipulations in response to manual activation of at least one of said plurality of keys of said first keyboard means;

first means for displaying, said first means for displaying having means for displaying at least two numerical values each corresponding, respectively, to at least two nutritional quantities, wherein one of said nutritional quantities is the approximate cumulative caloric level accumulated since a given starting time;

second keyboard means, said second keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys;

second calculating means, said second calculating means having means for rendering numerical manipulations in response to manual activation of at least one of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means;

each of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means being configured to enter, into said second calculating means, at least a user'"'"'s weight;

second displaying means, said second displaying means having means for displaying at least one numerical value corresponding at least to a recommended daily caloric intake for losing a predetermined amount of weight per week;

said method comprising the steps of;

providing first keyboard means;

configuring the first keyboard means to comprise a plurality of keys, each of said plurality of keys corresponding to a different predetermined food exchange, wherein such a food exchange corresponds to a predetermined grouping of foodstuffs;

providing memory means for storing numerical values corresponding to a predetermined set of nutritional quantities associated with each food exchange;

providing first calculating means for rendering numerical manipulations in response to manual activation of at least one of said plurality of keys of the first keyboard means;

providing first means for displaying at least two numerical values each corresponding, respectively, to at least two nutritional quantities, wherein one of said nutritional quantities is the approximate cumulative caloric level accumulated since a given starting time;

providing second keyboard means;

configuring the second keyboard means to comprise a plurality of keys;

providing second calculating means for rendering numerical manipulations in response to manual activation of at least one of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means;

configuring the plurality of keys of the second keyboard means to enter, into said second calculating means, at least a user'"'"'s weight;

providing second displaying means for displaying at least one numerical value corresponding at least to a recommended daily caloric intake for losing a predetermined amount of weight per week;

said method further comprising the additional steps of;

manually activating one of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means and entering, into said second calculating means, at least a user'"'"'s weight;

rendering, with said second calculating means, numerical manipulations in response to the manual activation of the one of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means;

displaying, with said second displaying means, at least one numerical value corresponding at least to a recommended daily caloric intake for losing a predetermined amount of weight per week;

storing, with said memory means, numerical values corresponding to a predetermined set of nutritional quantities associated with a predetermined food exchange;

manually activating one of said plurality of keys of said first keyboard means corresponding to the predetermined food exchange;

rendering, with said first calculating means, numerical manipulations in response to the manual activation of the one of said plurality of keys of said first keyboard means; and

displaying, with said first displaying means, at least two numerical values each corresponding, respectively, to at least two nutritional quantities, wherein one of said nutritional quantities is the approximate cumulative caloric level accumulated since a given starting time.

3. A device for rendering numerical manipulations of data relating to personal nutrition, said device comprising:

keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys, each of said plurality of keys corresponding to a different predetermined food exchange, wherein such a food exchange corresponds to a predetermined grouping of foodstuffs;

memory means for storing numerical values corresponding to a predetermined set of nutritional quantities associated with each food exchange;

calculating means for rendering numerical manipulations in response to manual activation of at least one of said plurality of keys;

means for displaying at least two numerical values each corresponding, respectively, to at least two nutritional quantities, wherein one of said nutritional quantities is the approximate cumulative caloric level accumulated since a given starting time;

said device being manually portable, manually operable and manually holdable;

a second one of said at least two nutritional quantities being a percentage value of the displayed cumulative caloric level accounted for by total fat;

a third one of said at least two nutritional quantities being a percentage value of the displayed cumulative caloric level accounted for by one of;

protein and carbohydrates;

a fourth one of said at least two nutritional quantities being a percentage value of the displayed cumulative caloric level accounted for by the other of;

protein and carbohydrates;

said calculating means being a first calculating means;

said device further comprising second calculating means, said second calculating means having means for rendering numerical manipulations;

said keyboard means being a first keyboard means;

said device further comprising second keyboard means, said second keyboard means having a plurality of manually activated keys;

said first calculating means being contained within said first keyboard means;

said second calculating means being contained within said second keyboard means;

said device further comprising means for connecting said first keyboard means and said second keyboard means with one another to simultaneously render said first keyboard means and said second keyboard means available to a user at a given time;

each of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means being configured to enter, into said second calculating means, at least a user'"'"'s weight;

said means for rendering numerical manipulations of said second calculating means having means for rendering numerical manipulations in response to manual activation of at least one of said plurality of keys of said second keyboard means;

said displaying means being a first displaying means; and

said device further comprising second displaying means, said second displaying means having means for displaying at least one numerical value corresponding at least to a recommended daily caloric intake for losing a predetermined amount of weight per week.