Food content detector

• US 8,321,141 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, ADITYA S
• Application Number:
  US12/291,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 702/19
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2205 Drinking glasses or vessels A47G19/23 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/02 Forks; Forks with ejectors; Combined forks and spoons; Salad servers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/04 Spoons; Pastry servers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/103 Chop-sticks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A system may include utensil means for portioning a foodstuff into a first portion and a second portion, a means for detecting a first portion size for the first portion with the utensil means, a means for detecting a second portion size for the second portion with the utensil means, and a means for determining a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

means for portioning a foodstuff into a first portion and a second portion;

means for detecting a first portion size for the first portion with the portioning means;

means for detecting a second portion size for the second portion with the portioning means;

means for determining a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size; and

means for directly contacting the foodstuff and for sensing an ingredient of the portioned foodstuff, the means for directly contacting the foodstuff and for sensing an ingredient of the portioned foodstuff coupled to the means for portioning a foodstuff into a first portion and a second portion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for portioning a foodstuff into a first portion and a second portion comprises:

at least one of a bowl, a chopstick, a container, a cup, a fork, a glass, a knife, a ladle, a plate, a scoop, a serving dish, a spatula, a spoon, tongs, or a utensil.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for detecting a first portion size for the first portion with the portioning means comprises:

means for detecting the first portion size for the first portion, wherein the first portion is sized by at least one of mass, volume, or weight.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for determining a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size comprises:

means for adding the first portion size and the second portion size for a positive accumulation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for determining a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size comprises:

means for subtracting the first portion size and the second portion size for a negative accumulation.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for storing the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

at least one of flash memory, Random Access Memory (RAM), or Read Only Memory (ROM).

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for reporting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for reporting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

at least one of an audio signal, a tactile signal, or a visual signal.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for reporting that the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for reporting that the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount comprises:

means for alerting a user when the target amount is reached.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff to a remote display.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff to a remote storage device.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for comparing the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff to a target amount.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for comparing the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff to a target amount comprises:

means for comparing the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff to a goal amount.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for reporting a representation of the comparison.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for transmitting a representation of the comparison.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for alerting a user to the comparison.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining an energy density for the portioned foodstuff.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for determining an energy density for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for determining a calorie density for the portioned foodstuff.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining a component concentration for the portioned foodstuff.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for determining a component concentration for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for determining a concentration of at least one of a carbohydrate, a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, an oligosaccharide, a polysaccharide, a cellulose component, a fiber component, a sugar component, a dairy component, a fat, a saturated fat, an unsaturated fat, a polyunsaturated fat, a trans fat, a cholesterol component, a lipoprotein, a mineral, a peanut component, a protein, a salt, a triglyceride, or a vitamin.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for determining a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size comprises:

means for calculating a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for calculating a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for calculating a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing an energy density for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for calculating a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for calculating a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing a component concentration for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for storing the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for reporting the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for reporting that the nutritional content of the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount.

30. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for transmitting the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for transmitting the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for transmitting the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff to a remote storage device.

32. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for comparing the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff to a target amount.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the means for comparing the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff to a target amount comprises:

means for comparing the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff to a goal amount.

34. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining a type of the portioned foodstuff;

means for referencing the type of the portioned foodstuff against a stored nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff; and

means for calculating a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing the stored nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.