Nutritional monitoring and feedback

• US 8,725,545 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Phalake, Sumier, Shaouy, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DELICH, STEPHANIE ZAGARELLA
• Application Number:
  US13/466,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/3, 705/7.38, 705/7.41, 705/28, 235/385
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A method and system for tracking items is provided. The method includes retrieving, from empty food packages in garbage containers, data associated with multiple attributes of multiple consumed food products from the empty food packages. Package data objects associated with the data are generated. The package data objects include identification numbers and attributes associated with the empty food packages. The package data objects are transmitted to a central processing server for generation of aggregated data. The aggregated data is analyzed with respect to nutritional content of the multiple consumed food products.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving, by a computer processor of a regional computing system from a first plurality of empty food packages in a first garbage container, first data associated with first attributes of first consumed food products from said first plurality of empty food packages;

retrieving, by said computer processor from a second plurality of empty food packages in a second garbage container, second data associated with second attributes of second consumed food products from said second plurality of empty food packages, wherein said first garbage container is located in a location differing from a location of said second garbage container;

generating, by said computer processor, a first package data object associated with said first data, wherein said first package data object comprises a first identification number and said first attributes;

generating, by said computer processor, a second package data object associated with said second data, wherein said second package data object comprises a second identification number and said second attributes;

transmitting, by said computer processor to a central processing server, said first package data object and said second package data object, wherein said central processing server generates aggregated data from said first package data object and said second package data object, wherein said central processing server performs an analysis of said first attributes and said second attributes of said aggregated data with respect to nutritional content of said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products, and wherein said central processing server generates analysis data based on results of said analysis;

receiving, by said computer processor from said regional computing system, said analysis data;

detecting, by said computer processor, trays of food products at a point of consumption for said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products prior to consumption, wherein a point of consumption is a physical location;

activating, by said computer processor in response to said detecting, a video retrieval device at said point of consumption;

receiving, by said computer processor from said video retrieval device in response to said activating, first video data representing said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products prior to consumption;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said first video data via image recognition;

first determining, by said computer processor based on results of said analyzing, food choices and serving sizes associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products;

generating, by said computer processor, a video package data object associated with said first video data, wherein said video package data object comprises a third identification number and video attributes;

comparing, by said computer processor, said video package data object to said first package data object and said second package data object;

estimating, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing, an amount, type, and nutritional value of all food products served at said point of consumption during the course of a day;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said estimating, monetary incentives with respect to providing food comprising said nutritional value; and

second determining, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing, whether or not said food choices and serving sizes are equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes to determine fraudulent behavior.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are not equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said computer processor, a fraud warning message indicating a potential fraud scenario associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said fraud warning message to associated personnel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are not equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing that said food choices and serving sizes are not within a specified percentage of said first attributes and said second attributes;

generating, by said computer processor, a fraud warning message indicating a potential fraud scenario associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said fraud warning message to associated personnel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said computer processor, a message indicating no issues with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said message to associated personnel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing said first video data comprises performing an image recognition process to determine said food choices and serving sizes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first attributes and said second attributes comprises attributes selected from the group consisting of volume, serving size, calories, and vitamin content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a process for supporting computing infrastructure, the process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computer comprising a processor, wherein the processor carries out instructions contained in the code causing the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a regional computing system implements a method, said method comprising:

retrieving, by said computer processor from a first plurality of empty food packages in a first garbage container, first data associated with first attributes of first consumed food products from said first plurality of empty food packages;

retrieving, by said computer processor from a second plurality of empty food packages in a second garbage container, second data associated with second attributes of second consumed food products from said second plurality of empty food packages, wherein said first garbage container is located in a location differing from a location of said second garbage container;

generating, by said computer processor, a first package data object associated with said first data, wherein said first package data object comprises a first identification number and said first attributes;

generating, by said computer processor, a second package data object associated with said second data, wherein said second package data object comprises a second identification number and said second attributes;

transmitting, by said computer processor to a central processing server, said first package data object and said second package data object, wherein said central processing server generates aggregated data from said first package data object and said second package data object, wherein said central processing server performs an analysis of said first attributes and said second attributes of said aggregated data with respect to nutritional content of said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products, and wherein said central processing server generates analysis data based on results of said analysis;

receiving, by said computer processor from said regional computing system, said analysis data;

detecting, by said computer processor, trays of food products at a point of consumption for said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products prior to consumption, wherein a point of consumption is a physical location;

activating, by said computer processor in response to said detecting, a video retrieval device at said point of consumption;

receiving, by said computer processor from said video retrieval device in response to said activating, first video data representing said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products prior to consumption;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said first video data via image recognition;

first determining, by said computer processor based on results of said analyzing, food choices and serving sizes associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products;

generating, by said computer processor, a video package data object associated with said first video data, wherein said video package data object comprises a third identification number and video attributes;

comparing, by said computer processor, said video package data object to said first package data object and said second package data object;

estimating, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing, an amount, type, and nutritional value of all food products served at said point of consumption during the course of a day;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said estimating, monetary incentives with respect to providing food comprising said nutritional value; and

second determining, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing, whether or not said food choices and serving sizes are equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes to determine fraudulent behavior.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are not equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said computer processor, a fraud warning message indicating a potential fraud scenario associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said fraud warning message to associated personnel.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are not equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing that said food choices and serving sizes are not within a specified percentage of said first attributes and said second attributes;

generating, by said computer processor, a fraud warning message indicating a potential fraud scenario associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said fraud warning message to associated personnel.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said computer processor, a message indicating no issues with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said message to associated personnel.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein analyzing said first video data comprises performing an image recognition process to determine said food choices and serving sizes.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said first attributes and said second attributes comprises attributes selected from the group consisting of volume, serving size, calories, and vitamin content.

14. A computer system comprising a computer processor coupled to a computer readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the computer processor of a regional computing system implements a method comprising:

retrieving, by said computer processor from a first plurality of empty food packages in a first garbage container, first data associated with first attributes of first consumed food products from said first plurality of empty food packages;

retrieving, by said computer processor from a second plurality of empty food packages in a second garbage container, second data associated with second attributes of second consumed food products from said second plurality of empty food packages, wherein said first garbage container is located in a location differing from a location of said second garbage container;

generating, by said computer processor, a first package data object associated with said first data, wherein said first package data object comprises a first identification number and said first attributes;

generating, by said computer processor, a second package data object associated with said second data, wherein said second package data object comprises a second identification number and said second attributes;

transmitting, by said computer processor to a central processing server, said first package data object and said second package data object, wherein said central processing server generates aggregated data from said first package data object and said second package data object, wherein said central processing server performs an analysis of said first attributes and said second attributes of said aggregated data with respect to nutritional content of said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products, and wherein said central processing server generates analysis data based on results of said analysis;

receiving, by said computer processor from said regional computing system, said analysis data;

detecting, by said computer processor, trays of food products at a point of consumption for said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products prior to consumption, wherein a point of consumption is a physical location;

activating, by said computer processor in response to said detecting, a video retrieval device at said point of consumption;

receiving, by said computer processor from said video retrieval device in response to said activating, first video data representing said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products prior to consumption;

analyzing, by said computer processor, said first video data via image recognition;

first determining, by said computer processor based on results of said analyzing, food choices and serving sizes associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products;

generating, by said computer processor, a video package data object associated with said first video data, wherein said video package data object comprises a third identification number and video attributes;

comparing, by said computer processor, said video package data object to said first package data object and said second package data object;

estimating, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing, an amount, type, and nutritional value of all food products served at said point of consumption during the course of a day;

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said estimating, monetary incentives with respect to providing food comprising said nutritional value; and

second determining, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing, whether or not said food choices and serving sizes are equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes to determine fraudulent behavior.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are not equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said computer processor, a fraud warning message indicating a potential fraud scenario associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said fraud warning message to associated personnel.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are not equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

determining, by said computer processor based on results of said comparing that said food choices and serving sizes are not within a specified percentage of said first attributes and said second attributes;

generating, by said computer processor, a fraud warning message indicating a potential fraud scenario associated with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said fraud warning message to associated personnel.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said second determining determines that said food choices and serving sizes are equivalent to said first attributes and said second attributes, and wherein said method further comprises:

generating, by said computer processor, a message indicating no issues with said first consumed food products and said second consumed food products; and

transmitting, by said computer processor, said message to associated personnel.