Food content detector

• US 8,392,125 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:
  US12/313,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 702/19
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/00 Table-ware crumb trays A47L13/52; table knives B26B
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4146 for controlling caloric intake, e.g. diet control
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 Food

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 presenting a portioned foodstuff for consumption by at least one user;

means for directly contacting the portioned foodstuff and for sensing at least one ingredient in the portioned foodstuff, the means for directly contacting the portioned foodstuff and for sensing at least one ingredient in the portioned foodstuff coupled with the means for presenting a portioned foodstuff for consumption by at least one user; and

means for reporting information concerning the at least one ingredient in the portioned foodstuff.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for presenting a portioned foodstuff for consumption by at least one user comprises:

at least one of a serving dish, a utensil, or a vending machine.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for directly contacting the portioned foodstuff and for sensing at least one ingredient in the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for sensing at least one of a carbohydrate, a fat, a mineral, a protein, a salt, a triglyceride, or a vitamin.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for directly contacting the portioned foodstuff and for sensing at least one ingredient in the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for determining a concentration of the at least one ingredient in the portioned foodstuff.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

means for detecting a portion size for the portioned foodstuff for consumption by the at least one user; and

means for determining a cumulative amount of the at least one ingredient based upon the portion size and the concentration of the at least one ingredient.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

utensil means for separating the portioned foodstuff into a first portion and a second portion and delivering it to the at least one user;

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

means for detecting a second portion size for the second portion with the utensil means; and

means for determining a cumulative amount of the at least one ingredient based upon the first portion size, the second portion size, and the concentration of the at least one ingredient.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

utensil 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 utensil means;

means for detecting a second portion size for the second portion with the utensil means; and

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

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for storing the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for reporting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

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

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for transmitting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

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

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for determining an energy density for the portioned foodstuff.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for determining a component concentration for the portioned foodstuff.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for receiving the nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for determining a cumulative amount of the 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.

18. The system of claim 17, 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.

19. The system of claim 17, 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.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

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

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for transmitting the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

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

23. The system of claim 7, 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.

24. The system of claim 1, further 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 the portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size; and

means for determining a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for reporting the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

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

27. The system of claim 26, 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.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

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

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for determining an energy density for the portioned foodstuff.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

means for determining a component concentration for the portioned foodstuff.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for determining a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff 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.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for determining a cumulative amount of the 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 the nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for storing the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for reporting the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

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

36. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for transmitting the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

37. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

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

38. The system of claim 24, 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.