Systems and methods for providing customized food items that are customized based, at least in part, on customized food item integrity preference

• US 9,824,382 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Holman, Pablos, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Levchin, Max R., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Petroski, Robert C., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'SULLIVAN, KATHERINE L
• Application Number:
  US14/175,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/70 in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0064 for processing of food articles cooking vessels A47J37/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include acquiring user information associated with one or more users for use in generating one or more customized food items that are customized specifically for the one or more users, the user information to be acquired including at least one or more user preferences related to integrity of one or more food ingredients to be included in the one or more customized food items; and directing generation of the one or more customized food items for the one or more users, the one or more customized food items having been customized to show one or more visual indicators that provide customized information that has been customized in accordance, at least in part, with the acquired user information. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations, comprising:

at least one processing device; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including at least one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to be configured as at least;

circuitry configured for detecting one or more users in proximity of one or more automated customized food generation machines;

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities;

circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users; and

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

2. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring at least a portion of the one or more identities of the one or more users at least in part through a user interface of an automated customized food preparation machine capable of generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

3. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more users having provided the one or more user identifications subsequent to the one or more users being detected in proximity of the one or more automated customized food generation machines.

4. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for retrieving at least a portion of the one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users from the internet based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

5. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 4, wherein circuitry configured for retrieving at least a portion of the one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users from the internet based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for retrieving at least a portion of the one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users from one or more social networking websites based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

6. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring dietary information associated with the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

7. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 6, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring dietary information associated with the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more dietary preferences of the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

8. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 7, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more dietary preferences of the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more ingredient preferences of the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

9. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for detecting one or more users in proximity of one or more automated customized food generation machines comprises:

circuitry configured for detecting, using at least one proximity sensor of the one or more automated customized food generation machines, one or more users in proximity of one or more automated customized food generation machines.

10. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for detecting one or more users in proximity of one or more automated customized food generation machines comprises:

circuitry configured for detecting at least one mobile device associated with the one or more users in proximity of one or more automated customized food generation machines at least in part via at least one Wi-Fi communication.

11. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences related to purity of one or more ingredients to be included in one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

12. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 11, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences related to purity of one or more ingredients to be included in one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences that one or more sources for the one or more ingredients were tested for presence of one or more impurities based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

13. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 12, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences that one or more sources for the one or more ingredients were tested for presence of one or more impurities based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences that the one or more sources for the one or more ingredients were tested for presence of at least one of one or more prions or one or more selective bacteria based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

14. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences for at least one of one or more sources for obtaining one or more ingredients or one or more locations for obtaining the one or more ingredients based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

15. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences that one or more identified sources not be one or more sources for obtaining one or more ingredients based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

16. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring one or more preferences for one or more locations to not be one or more sources for obtaining one or more ingredients based, at least in part, on the one or more identities.

17. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities comprises:

circuitry configured for acquiring two or more identities of two or more users who are determined to be affiliated with each other, at least one of the two or more users having been detected in proximity of the one or more automated customized food generation machines.

18. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 17, wherein circuitry configured for acquiring two or more identities of two or more users who are determined to be affiliated with each other, at least one of the two or more users having been detected in proximity of the one or more automated customized food generation machines comprises:

circuitry configured for determining that the two or more users are affiliated with each other based, at least in part, on social networking information provided through one or more devices associated with at least one of the two or more users.

19. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling at least one arrangement for depositing one or more ingredients in one or more layers to form the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

20. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for directing placement of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

21. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of the one or more visual indicators onto one or more labels; and

circuitry configured for directing affixing of the one or more labels onto one or more wrappers in which the one or more food items were packed by one or more robotic packing systems coupled with the one or more automated customized food generation machines subsequent to printing of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

22. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items, including at least controlling printing using edible ink of the one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

23. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators indicative of integrity of one or more ingredients used to generate the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

24. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 23, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators indicative of integrity of one or more ingredients used to generate the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators indicative of purity of one or more ingredients used to generate the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

25. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 23, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators indicative of integrity of one or more ingredients used to generate the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators indicative of at least one location from which at least one ingredient used to generate the one or more food items was sourced in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

26. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators indicative of one or more ingredients included in the one or more food items as at least a portion of the one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users.

27. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more images of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users.

28. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users, including at least controlling at least one thermal printing system to place the one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

29. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users, including at least controlling at least one of press printing or stamp printing of the one or more visual indicators onto one or more surfaces of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

30. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto one or more edible labels.

31. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, and circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprise:

circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines to generate the one or more food items in one or more specific forms to provide the one or more visual indicators related to the one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences of the one or more users.

32. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 31, wherein circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines to generate the one or more food items in one or more specific forms to provide the one or more visual indicators related to the one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences of the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines to generate the one or more food items in one or more specific colors to provide the one or more visual indicators related to the one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences of the one or more users.

35. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by at least one 3-D food printer of the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

36. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling one or more robotic arrangements coupled with the one or more automated customized food generation machines to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

37. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 1, wherein circuitry configured for controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for controlling printing, in accordance with one or more food customization notification preferences of the one or more users as the one or more preferences acquired based on the one or more identities, of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items.

38. The system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations of claim 31, wherein circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines to generate the one or more food items in one or more specific forms to provide the one or more visual indicators related to the one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences of the one or more users comprises:

circuitry configured for directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines to generate the one or more food items in one or more specific shapes to provide the one or more visual indicators related to the one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences of the one or more users.

33. A system for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations, comprising:

one or more processing devices; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processing devices, cause at least one of the one or more processing devices to perform one or more operations including at least;

detecting one or more users in proximity of one or more automated customized food generation machines;

acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities;

directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users; and

controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

34. A method for generating food items visually indicating food item customizations, comprising:

detecting one or more users in proximity of one or more automated customized food generation machines;

acquiring one or more identities of the one or more users and one or more preferences related to one or more food items customized for the one or more users based, at least in part, on the one or more identities;

directing generation by the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more preferences, including at least controlling printing by one or more electronic food printer components of the one or more automated customized food generation machines of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users; and

controlling printing of one or more visual indicators related to one or more customizations occurring during generation of the one or more food items in accordance with the one or more preferences of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users,

wherein at least one of the detecting, acquiring, directing, or controlling is at least partially implemented using at least one processing device.