Food content detector

• US 9,842,513 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Sweeney, Elizabeth, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, John H
• Application Number:
  US13/772,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20130273508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 702 19, 600300, 434127, 235383
• 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 device, comprising:

a utensil configured to portion a foodstuff into a first portion and a second portion for consumption by at least one user;

a detector coupled to the utensil configured to detect a first portion size for the first portion and to detect a second portion size for the second portion;

a processor coupled to the detector configured to determine a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size; and

a determination module configured to measure a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a detector coupled to the utensil configured to detect a first portion size for the first portion and to detect a second portion size for the second portion comprises:

a detector coupled to the utensil configured to detect the first portion size for the first portion, wherein the first portion is sized by at least one of mass, volume, or weight.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reporter configured to report the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reporter configured to report that the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein a reporter configured to report that the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount comprises:

an alarm configured to alert a user when the target amount is reached.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a comparator configured to compare the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff to a target amount.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one of (i) a display configured to report a representation of the comparison, (ii) a transmitter configured to transmit a representation of the comparison, or (iii) an alarm configured to alert a user to the comparison.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a detector coupled to the utensil configured to detect a first portion size for the first portion and to detect a second portion size for the second portion comprises:

at least one of a strain gauge, a density sensor, or an imaging device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein a determination module configured to measure a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a determination module configured to measure an energy density for the portioned foodstuff.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein a determination module configured to measure a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a determination module configured to measure a component concentration of the portioned foodstuff.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein a determination module configured to measure a component concentration of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a determination module configured to measure 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.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein a processor coupled to the detector configured to determine a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size comprises:

a calculator configured to calculate a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a reporter configured to report that the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein a reporter configured to report that the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount comprises:

an alarm configured to alert a user when the target amount is reached.

16. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a comparator configured to compare the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff to a target amount.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one of (i) a display configured to report a representation of the comparison, (ii) a transmitter configured to transmit a representation of the comparison, or (iii) an alarm configured to alert a user to the comparison.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein a calculator configured to calculate a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a calculator configured to at least one of (i) calculate a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing an energy density for the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff or (ii) calculate a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff utilizing a component concentration of the portioned foodstuff and the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff.

19. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

at least one of (i) a memory configured to store the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff or (ii) a reporter configured to report the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

20. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff to at least one of a remote display or a remote storage device.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein a processor coupled to the detector configured to determine a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size comprises:

a processor configured to at least one of (i) add the first portion size and the second portion size for a positive accumulation or (ii) subtract the first portion size and the second portion size for a negative accumulation.

22. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit the cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff to at least one of a remote display or a remote storage device.

23. A device, comprising:

a utensil configured to portion a foodstuff into a portioned foodstuff for consumption by at least one user;

a detector coupled to the utensil configured to detect a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff; and

a reporter coupled to the utensil configured to report the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein a detector coupled to the utensil configured to detect a nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a detector for detecting the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff, wherein the portioned foodstuff is sized by at least one of mass, volume, or weight.

25. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

a processor coupled to the detector configured to determine a cumulative amount of nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff based upon a first nutritional content of a first portion size and upon a second nutritional content of a second portion size.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein a processor coupled to the detector configured to determine a cumulative amount of nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff based upon a first nutritional content of a first portion size and upon a second nutritional content of a second portion size comprises:

a processor configured to at least one of (i) add the first nutritional content and the second nutritional content for a positive accumulation or (ii) subtract the first nutritional content and the second nutritional content for a negative accumulation.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein a reporter coupled to the utensil configured to report the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a reporter configured to report that the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein a reporter configured to report that the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff has reached a target amount comprises:

an alarm configured to alert a user when the target amount is reached.

29. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

a comparator configured to compare a cumulative amount of the portioned foodstuff to a target amount.

30. The device of claim 29, further comprising:

at least one of (i) a display configured to report a representation of the comparison, (ii) a transmitter configured to transmit a representation of the comparison, or (iii) an alarm configured to alert a user to the comparison.

31. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

a determination module configured to measure a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein a determination module configured to measure a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a determination module configured to measure an energy density for the portioned foodstuff.

33. The device of claim 31, wherein a determination module configured to measure a nutritional parameter for the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a determination module configured to measure a component concentration of the portioned foodstuff.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein a determination module configured to measure a component concentration of the portioned foodstuff comprises:

a determination module configured to measure 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.

35. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

at least one of (i) a memory configured to store the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff or (ii) a reporter configured to report a cumulative amount of the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff.

36. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit the nutritional content for the portioned foodstuff to at least one of a remote display or a remote storage device.