Apparatus and method for identifying, measuring and analyzing food nutritional values and consumer eating behaviors
First Claim
1. A food container for monitoring a food item being consumed by a user, the food container comprising:
- one or more partitions, each being defined by a wall and a body formed by the food container, to receive and retain the food item;
a weight sensor placed within the food container, positioned to measure a weight of the food item being received by the one or more partitions;
one or more cameras, each of the one or more cameras being respectively positioned at the wall facing each of the one or more partitions, to identify a type and a preparation status of the food item, each of the one or more cameras capturing an image of the food item;
wherein the weight sensor and the one or more cameras are in communication with one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to determine a nutritional value of the food item based on the type, the preparation status, and the weight, the type and the preparation status being identified by comparing properties of the food item identified from the captured image to reference properties corresponding to one of a various types of food item stored in a storage unit, the properties comprising color, shape, and texture, the preparation status indicating a preparation method of the food item and including an additional cooking ingredient added when preparing the food item, the one or more processors in communication with the storage unit; and
a computerized user interface configured to display information processed by the one or more processors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
System and method for identifying, measuring and analyzing food nutritional values and consumer eating behaviors is disclosed. A food container, having weight sensors and food identification sensors, identifies weight, type, and preparation status of the food item being consumed by the user from the food container. Based on the identified information, the nutritional value of the food item is determined and observed. The food container in communication with the system components may provide the user a recommended meal plan to improve the user'"'"'s health condition. In addition, the food container issues an alert to the user when the user puts too much, too less, or the right amount of food items in the food container or eats the food items too fast.
40 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A food container for monitoring a food item being consumed by a user, the food container comprising:
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one or more partitions, each being defined by a wall and a body formed by the food container, to receive and retain the food item; a weight sensor placed within the food container, positioned to measure a weight of the food item being received by the one or more partitions; one or more cameras, each of the one or more cameras being respectively positioned at the wall facing each of the one or more partitions, to identify a type and a preparation status of the food item, each of the one or more cameras capturing an image of the food item; wherein the weight sensor and the one or more cameras are in communication with one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to determine a nutritional value of the food item based on the type, the preparation status, and the weight, the type and the preparation status being identified by comparing properties of the food item identified from the captured image to reference properties corresponding to one of a various types of food item stored in a storage unit, the properties comprising color, shape, and texture, the preparation status indicating a preparation method of the food item and including an additional cooking ingredient added when preparing the food item, the one or more processors in communication with the storage unit; and a computerized user interface configured to display information processed by the one or more processors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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6. A method for monitoring a food item being consumed by a user, the food item being received and retained by a food container, the food container comprising one or more partitions, each being defined by a wall and a body formed by the food container, to receive and retain the food item, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, by a one or more processors, a weight of the food item from a weight sensor, the weight sensor being placed within the food container; identifying a type and a preparation status of the food item, by the one or more processors, based on an image captured by one or more cameras, each of the one or more cameras being respectively positioned at the wall facing each of the one or more partitions, to identify the type and the preparation status of the food item, the one or more cameras being in communication with the one or more processors, the one or more processors being further in communication with a storage unit, wherein the type and the preparation status are identified by comparing properties of the food item identified from the captured image to reference properties corresponding to one of a various types of food item stored in the storage unit, the properties comprising color, shape, and texture, the preparation status indicating a preparation method of the food item and including an additional cooking ingredient added when preparing the food item; and determining, by the one or more processors, a nutritional value of the food item based on the weight, the preparation status, and the type of the food item. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification