Food content detector

• US 8,392,124 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US12/313,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 702/19
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0092 Nutrition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• 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:

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

means for detecting a first nutritional content for the first portion with the utensil means;

means for detecting a second nutritional content for the second portion with the utensil means;

means for determining a cumulative amount of nutritional content based upon the first nutritional content and the second nutritional content; and

means for directly contacting the first portion and the second portion and for sensing an ingredient in at least one of the first portion or the second portion, the means for directly contacting the first portion and the second portion and for sensing an ingredient in at least one of the first portion or the second portion coupled with the utensil means.

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

at least one of a chopstick, a cup, a fork, a glass, a knife, a ladle, a scoop, or a spoon.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for detecting a first nutritional content for the first portion with the utensil means comprises:

means for detecting the first nutritional content 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 nutritional content based upon the first nutritional content and the second nutritional content comprises:

means for adding the first nutritional content and the second nutritional content for a positive accumulation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for determining a cumulative amount of nutritional content based upon the first nutritional content and the second nutritional content comprises:

means for subtracting the first nutritional content and the second nutritional content for a negative accumulation.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing the cumulative amount of the nutritional content.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for storing the cumulative amount of the nutritional content 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 nutritional content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for reporting the cumulative amount of the nutritional content 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 nutritional content has reached a target amount.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for reporting that the cumulative amount of the nutritional content 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 nutritional content.

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

means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the nutritional content to a remote display.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the nutritional content comprises:

means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the nutritional content to a remote storage device.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for comparing the cumulative amount of the nutritional content to a target amount.

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

means for comparing the cumulative amount of the nutritional content 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 a nutritional parameter for the nutritional content.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the nutritional content comprises:

means for determining an energy density for the nutritional content.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for determining an energy density for the nutritional content comprises:

means for determining a calorie density for the nutritional content.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the nutritional content comprises:

means for determining a concentration of the ingredient for the nutritional content.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for determining a concentration of the ingredient for the nutritional content 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.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the nutritional content comprises:

means for determining the nutritional parameter on at least one of a per-mass basis, a per-volume basis, or a per-weight basis.