Modifying a Person's Eating and Activity Habits

• US 20080267444A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bodlaender, Maarten Peter, Simons-Nikolova, Mariana
• Granted Patent: US 9,268,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0092 Nutrition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system for managing the food intake of a person comprises means for collecting information about food consumed by the subject, and means for providing feedback to the subject regarding the food consumed. It further comprises a sensor (57) for obtaining a signal related to the person and monitoring means for generating the information by performing a pattern recognition of the obtained signal for detecting whether the person is consuming food. The sensor comprises a camera and the pattern recognition comprises image processing. The image processing comprises the detection of a mouth and of a hand and of food. The system further comprises means for causing an audio/video-rendering device (56) to deliver the feedback. The camera is attached to the rendering device. The system further comprises means for identifying available rendering devices (56) arranged for being caused to deliver feedback.

Claims

1. A system for managing the food intake of a person, comprising

means for collecting information about food consumed by the subject, and

means for providing feedback to the subject regarding the food consumed, characterized in that it further comprises

a sensor for obtaining a signal related to the person,

monitoring means for generating the information by performing a pattern recognition of the obtained signal for detecting whether the person is consuming food.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a camera and the pattern recognition comprises image processing.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the image processing comprises the detection of a mouth and of a hand.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the image processing comprises the detection of food.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for causing an audio/video-rendering device to deliver the feedback.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the sensor is a camera attached to the rendering device.

7. A system according to claim 5, further comprising

means for identifying available rendering devices arranged for being caused to deliver feedback,

means for obtaining properties of the identified rendering devices, and

means for selecting at least one of the rendering devices based on a predefined set of criteria related to the properties,

wherein

the means for causing a rendering device to deliver the feedback is arranged for causing the selected rendering device to deliver the feedback.

8. A system according to claim 5,

further comprising means for obtaining at least one property related to the contents of an audio/video program being rendered, and

wherein the means for providing feedback operates in dependence on the property.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the means for providing feedback is arranged for providing the feedback only during selected intervals.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a motion sensor or an accelerometer.

11. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining a total amount of food consumed or means for determining a trend in the amount of food consumed, wherein the means for providing feedback is arranged for periodically providing feedback relating to the total amount of food consumed or to the trend in the amount of food consumed.

12. A method for managing the food intake of a person, comprising

collecting information about food consumed by the subject, and

providing feedback to the subject regarding the food consumed, characterized in that it further comprises

obtaining a signal related to the person,

generating the information by performing a pattern recognition of the obtained signal for detecting whether the person is consuming food.

13. A computer program product comprising instructions for making a processor perform the method of claim 12.