Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Nutrition Management and Meal Planning Program
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the creation of customized nutritional
purchase
information, and more specifically to the creation of nutritional reports,
nutritional options, and
promotional information based upon purchases at a local store or online store
made while using a
loyalty card.
BACKGROUND
[00021 Loyalty cards are one way to offer incentives for consumers to return
to a particular
company. For instance, a store may reward its consumers with financial bonuses
or discounts which
may be applied to purchases. In addition to the enhanced consumer loyalty, the
company obtains
information on consumers' purchasing behavior.
[0003] While the information obtained on the consumers purchasing behavior is
useful by the
company, there has not been a way to provide the consumer with useful
information based upon
information that has been obtained. This problem is perhaps most evident in
grocery stores, where
nutrition information is freely available for individual products, but is not
aggregated in a way that is
useful to a consumer.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one embodiment, a computerized method for nutritional planning is
disclosed which
comprises providing a database coupled to a central terminal, storing in the
database a plurality of
records comprising nutritional information related to products available for
purchase using a loyalty
profile, and associating in the database the nutritional information with
products purchased using the
loyalty profile. This method further comprises identifying deficiencies in a
nutritional profile and
displaying products which. compensate for deficiencies.
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.r.- [0005] In another embodiment, a computer-readable medium encoded with a
computer program
code for managing nutrition planning data is disclosed, the program code
causing a computer to
execute a method comprising controlling a first database, a second database,
and a third database
with a central processor, storing in the first database a plurality of records
comprising loyalty card
data for at least one loyalty card profile, and storing in the second database
a plurality of records
comprising product information of products purchased using the loyalty card
profile. This method
further comprises storing in a third database a plurality of records
comprising nutritional intake
guidelines, receiving at the central processor a request to display
information which relates to the
loyalty card profile and product information, generating a report by
aggregating data from the
second database with the loyalty card profile found in the first database, and
comparing the report
with the nutritional intake guidelines.
[0006] In yet another embodiment, a system for managing nutritional plan data
is disclosed
which comprises a database coupled to a central processor, a storage module
configured to store in
the database a plurality of records comprising loyalty card data for products
purchased with a loyalty
card and nutritional information for products available for purchase with the
loyalty card, a data
processing module configured to compare products purchased with a loyalty card
with the
nutritional information for products available for purchase with the loyalty
card, determine
deficiencies as determined by a standardized measurement, and propose products
which compensate
for deficiencies, and an output module for transmitting results, wherein the
central processor is
configured to receive a request for nutritional information regarding products
purchased with the
loyalty card and generates a report based upon the nutritional information
found in the database of
the products purchased with the loyalty card.
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=~= [0007] These and other features and advantages will be more clearly
understood from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and the
advantages thereof,
reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection
with the accompanying
drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent
like parts.
[0009] Figure 1 is an overview of one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0010] Figure 2 is a flowchart of one embodiment of the creation of a consumer
profile.
[0011] Figure 3 is a flowchart of one embodiment of the creation of a report
based upon a
consumer profile.
[0012] Figure 4 is a flowchart of one embodiment of the creation of a
customized report
preference by a consumer.
[0013] Figure 5 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present
disclosure.
[0014] Figure 6 is a chart illustrating nutritional purchase and consumption
information.
[0015] Figure 7 is a chart illustrating nutritional details.
[0016] Figure 8 is a screen shot of one embodiment of the present disclosure
showing report
results.
[0017] Figure 9 is a screen shot of one embodiment of the present disclosure
illustrating a trend
chart.
[0018] Figure 10 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method of selecting
recipes for meal
planning.
[0019] Figure 11 is a screenshot illustrating the choices of recipes.
[0020] Figure 12 is a screenshot illustrating the choices of food items.
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. =
[0021] Figure 13 is a flowchart of a method of evaluating recipe choices.
[0022] Figure 14 is a screenshot of a revised nutrition trend chart based upon
recipe choices.
[0023] Figure 15 is a screenshot of a shopping list.
[0024] Figure 16 is a screenshot of a store map illustrating the location of
local stores.
[0025] Figure 17 is a screen shot of a store map illustrating where to
purchase items in a local
store.
[0026] Figure 18 is a screenshot of an input screen.
[0027] Figure 19 is a screenshot of a recommendation screen.
[0028] Figure 20 illustrates an exemplary general purpose computer system
suitable for
implementing the several embodiments of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] In an embodiment shown in Figure 1, the nutrition management and meal
planning
program 10 contains a consumer 12, a loyalty card 14, a network connection 16,
a store 18, an
informational computer 20, and a nutritional database 22. Consumer 12
registers a first loyalty card
14 for example by using network connection 16 or otherwise providing such
information, with
informational computer 20 and creating loyalty profile 24. Consumer 12 uses
loyalty card 14 at
store 18 while making purchases. Informational computer 20 records the
purchases of consumer 12.
When consumer 12 accesses informational computer 20 and requests information
regarding loyalty
profile 24, informational computer 20 matches products sold at store 18 with
information from
nutritional database 22 and generates a report based upon the purchases of
consumer 12. The report
created by informational computer 20 is then provided, for example transmitted
through network
connection 16, to consumer 12. This report may contain information including,
but not limited to,
nutritional management information (e.g., nutrition information on household
purchases which can
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be used to benchmark product nutrition information against daily recommended
intake for various
nutrients), product alternative information (e.g., suggestions for alternative
products that can be
based on nutritional goals, health information, or for other reasons disclosed
herein), meal planning
(e.g., recipes that align with food preferences and nutritional goals),
promotional information (e.g.,
items that may be used with the meal planning information), local store
information (e.g., map of
local store and location of items within the store), and other information as
disclosed herein.
Network connection 16 may be any network capable of transmitting and receiving
data including,
but not limited to, internet, postal, and telephone networks. It should be
understood that the
registration of loyalty profile 24 and the purchasing of products may be
performed in any order or
concurrently. It should also be understood that store 18 may be a local store,
such as a grocery store
which is intended to refer to any location physically visited by consumer 12,
or an online store
visited by consumer 12 through a computer terminal or other electronic device.
[0030] While Figure 1 illustrates a single consumer 12, loyalty card 14, and
store 18 it is
envisioned that a plurality of consumers may use a plurality of loyalty cards
at a plurality of stores
linked to a single loyalty profile 24. It is further envisioned that any
number of stores could be used
by informational computer 20 to collect information about the purchases of
consumer 12. The
examples of consumer 12, loyalty card 14, and store 18 are therefore intended
to be illustrative and
not limiting.
[0031] Figure 2 is an example of one embodiment of the process by which
consumer 12 may
register one or more loyalty cards with informational computer 20 (Block 30).
Consumer 12
communicates directly or indirectly with informational computer 20 and creates
loyalty profile 24
through network connection 16. Loyalty profile 24 may include, but is not
limited to the following
information about individuals using loyalty profile 24: gender, name, age, and
activity level. Using
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the gender, name, age, activity level, informational server 20 is capable of
determining the
recommended daily intake for nutrients including, but not limited to, calories
using industry
accepted guidelines and other methods known to one skilled in the art. Two
examples of industry
accepted guidelines are the daily recommended intake of calories as set by the
Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Dietary Guidelines.
Loyalty profile 24 also contains information regarding the identity and
quantity of products
purchased using loyalty card 14.
[0032] Consumer 12 can add a loyalty card 14 to the loyalty profile 24 (Block
32). In the
example shown in Figure 2, loyalty card 14 is registered using network
connection 16. However, it
is explicitly understood that loyalty card 14 could be registered in any
number of other ways,
including, but not limited to, filling out a registration form at store 18. It
is further understood that
store 18 may, in some alternative embodiments, directly input loyalty profile
24 into informational
computer 20.
[0033] When consumer 12 purchases products from store 18 using loyalty card 14
linked to
loyalty profile 24, informational computer 20 automatically updates loyalty
profile 24 with
purchases made with loyalty card 14 (Block 34). Consumer 12 can access
informational computer
20 and request information about the products purchased through network 16
(Block 36). The
consumer 12 can also receive information regarding the products purchased with
loyalty card 14
(Block 38). The information received by consumer 12 may include, but is not
limited to,
information regarding nutritional information of products purchased,
alternatives to products
purchased, methods of preparation of products purchased, and other promotional
or informational
material. The information that consumer 12 receives may be transmitted via
email, displayed on a
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local web browser, transmitted through telephonic communication (e.g.,
facsimile transmission),
presented at a point of sale or purchase, or in other ways known to one
skilled in the art.
[0034] Figure 3 is a flowchart of one embodiment where informational computer
20 creates
nutritional database 22 and creates a report for consumer 12. Informational
computer 20 populates
nutritional database 22 with product information regarding products sold at
store 18 (Block 40).
This information may be provided by manufactures, distributors, the USDA, the
FDA, or any other
source known to one skilled in the art. Consumer 12 creates loyalty profile 24
which is stored in
informational computer 20 and is linked to at least one loyalty card 14 (Block
42). Loyalty profile
24 may be created in any manner discussed above, and may be created prior,
concurrent, or
subsequent to the population of nutritional database 22. Informational
computer 20 receives
notification of items purchased by consumer 12 using loyalty card 14 (Block
44). Such notification
may be made in any way known to one skilled in the art, including, but not
limited to, point of sale
data. This data could, in one embodiment, be obtained through collecting data
from the scanning of
items sold, capturing this data, and transmitting this data to informational
computer 20.
Informational computer 20 looks up the loyalty profile 24 linked to loyalty
card 14, and updates
loyalty profile 24 with information related to the purchases made by consumer
12 (Block 46). This
purchasing information may include, but is not limited to, the type and
quantity of products
purchased, information identifying loyalty card 14, and other sales
information. Informational
computer 20 generates a report on purchases made by consumer 12 using the
loyalty profile 24
(Block 48). It is expressly contemplated that consumer 12 may modify loyalty
profile 24 with
additional products purchase, or by removing items listed in loyalty profile
24. In this embodiment,
the informational computer 20 automatically generates a report upon the
receipt of information by
store 18; however, it is contemplated that the report may be generated at any
time as discussed
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= above. When informational computer 20 receives a request from consumer 12
linked to loyalty
profile 24, it transmits the report based on loyalty profile 24 to consumer 12
(Block 50).
[0035] Figure 4 is a flowchart of one embodiment where a consumer can create a
customized
report. First, the consumer requests a customized report to be generated based
on loyalty profile
information, and selects parameters for the report (Block 54). Parameters for
the report include, but
are not limited to, the purchased products consumer 12 is interested in (e.g.
breads, fruits, and
candy), and the nutritional content of purchased products (e.g. calcium,
protein, and fat).
Informational computer 20 creates a report based upon the loyalty profile 24
and report parameters
(Block 56). Informational computer 20 transmits the report to consumer 12
(Block 58).
[0036] Figure 5 is a block diagram 60 of one embodiment where informational
computer 20
takes information from a sales log 62 and loyalty profile 24, looks up
information in nutritional
database 22, and creates a preliminary report 114. Informational computer 20
also looks up
information related to loyalty profile 24 in usage database 112, combines the
information from usage
database 112 with information from loyalty profile 24 in tabulation unit 84
and creates report 86. It
should be understood that the products shown in this figure are for
illustrative purposes only. For
instance, any number of products may be purchased by consumer 12 and recorded
in sales log 62,
loyalty profile 24 may contain any number of customized settings, and
nutritional database 22 may
contain any number of products and any number of elements pertaining to each
item. It is further
contemplated that informational computer 20 may combine one or more products,
such as
combining nutritional database 22, usage database 112, and tabulation unit 84
into a single unit.
[0037] Sales log 62 shows that consumer 12 purchased two units 68 of bread 64
and four units
70 of candy 66. Sales log 62 may also include other information, such as the
date of purchase, the
method of payment, and identifying the loyalty card used during the
transaction in which sales log
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62 was created. Sales log 62 may identify products sold in any number of
different ways, including,
but not limited to, recording the UPC of each item, a serial number for each
item, or in any number
of ways known to one skilled in the art. Sales log 62 may be created through
any method known to
one skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, recording items scanned
at the point of sale, and
listing these items in sales log 62.
[0038] Loyalty profile 24 indicates that consumer 12 is interested in tracking
carbohydrates 72
and saturated fat 74. It is contemplated that loyalty profile 24 contains
records of all sales, including
those recorded by sales log 62, where loyalty card 14 was used to make a
purchase as well as any
other information entered into consumer profile 24 by consumer 12. While two
elements,
carbohydrates 72 and saturated fat 74 are shown, it is understood that any
number of elements may
be designated by the consumer, a predestinated set of elements may be selected
by store 18 or
consumer 12, or that all available entries in nutritional database 22 may be
used. It is further
contemplated that settings 76 include, but are not limited to, information
regarding nutritional
information of products purchased, methods of preparation of products
purchased, and possible
alternatives to products purchased. For exemplary purposes only, it will be
assumed that loyalty
profile 24 information contains information relating to two individuals in
this illustrative example.
[0039] In this embodiment, nutritional database 22 contains information about
the following
products: bread 64, candy 66, and juice 67. For each of these products,
nutritional database 22
contains information about the elements carbohydrates 72, protein 154, total
fat 156, saturated fat
74, cholesterol 160, sodium 162 and vitamin C 164. For the purpose of clarity,
the term products is
intended to refer to any item which is sold and may appear in sales log 62,
and the term element is to
refer a property of a product. Nutritional database 22 is intended to be
illustrative only, as it is
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contemplated that any number of products may be present within the database,
and any number of
elements may describe the products.
[00401 Informational computer 20 aggregates information from sales log 62 and
loyalty profile
24 to create preliminary report 114. Preliminary report 114 contains
information about
carbohydrates total 80 and saturated fat total 82. In this example, there are
a total of four units 80 of
carbohydrates 72, and sixteen units 82 of saturated fats 74. It is understood
that preliminary report
114 may also contain information regarding the number of individuals, activity
levels, or other items
listed in loyalty profile 24, as well as the time period in which it is
expected that the products
purchased in sales log 62 will be consumed. This preliminary report may also
take into
consideration other items, including, but not limited to, the number of meals
that an individual in
loyalty profile 24 is scheduled to eat, and pass this information to usage
database 112.
[0041] Usage database 112 may contain information including, but not limited
to, the
recommended daily allowance of elements, information about certain foods, and
other information
which may be available. The usage database 112 may be populated from the USDA,
FDA, or other
sources of information. It is contemplated that usage database 112 may also
contain additional
information about foods, such as possible health warnings.
[0042] Tabulation unit 84 uses information from preliminary report 114 and
usage database 112
to create report 86. Tabulation unit 84 is also capable of adding other
additional information
including, but not limited to, promotional information, methods of preparation
of products
purchased, alternatives to products purchased, as well other forms of
information. Tabulation unit
84 may also perform other functions, such as examining all products purchased
as reflected by
loyalty profile 24, matching those products against usage database 112, and
adding possible nutrient
deficiencies to report 86. For instance, if the FDA recommends a particular
amount of vitamin C,
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= and none is found within loyalty profile 24, it could alert consumer 12 to
the deficiency. In addition,
if consumer 12 had an unsafe amount of sodium 162, tabulation unit 84 could
pass a message listed
in the FDA into report 86. It is contemplated that other sources of
information, including, but not
limited to, the American Medical Association could be made part of usage
database 112.
[0043] Report 86 shows the results of the information gathered by tabulation
unit 84. Since
consumer 12, in this embodiment, has indicated a desire to track usage of
carbohydrates 72 and
saturated fat 74, report 86 will list these items. As previously indicated,
loyalty profile 24 has shown
that there are two individuals who are using loyalty profile 24. The generated
report shows that
there are four units 80 of total carbohydrates 88, two units 94 of which are
consumed per person 92,
and the USDA recommended daily allowance 96 is two units 98. The generated
report also shows
that there are sixteen units 82 of saturated fat 74, eight units 106 of which
are consumed per person
104, and the USDA recommended daily allowance 108 is two units 110. One of the
advantages of
the disclosed innovations is the ability to tabulate sales log 62 into the
loyalty profile 24, compare
this information with third party recommendations, and providing consumer 12
with nutritional
information.
[0044] Tabulation unit 84 is further capable of performing comparative
analysis. Comparative
analysis is intended to include, but not be limited to, the process by which
tabulation unit 84
compares the amount of each element purchased divided by a factor, such as the
USDA
recommended daily allowance. This provides consumer 12 with a result that
illustrates the
proportion of items purchased (e.g. a first number of days of a first food
element and a second
number of days of a second food element.) This comparative analysis may be
customized by
consumer 12 using loyalty profile 24. This customization includes, but is not
limited to, indicating
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consumption habits using loyalty profile 24. Comparative analysis allows the
consumer to
determine the relative amount of each element purchased as adjusted by dietary
guidelines.
100451 Another innovative feature of the present disclosure is the ability to
refresh report 86 and
allow consumer 12, loyalty profile 24, or other entity to create alert
thresholds. For instance, the
consumer 12 may want to be alerted when saturated fat 82 is consumed in an
unhealthy amount.
Another example of an alert would be if store 18 becomes aware of a problem
with an item
purchased by consumer 12, a warning may be sent to consumer 12.
[0046] Yet another innovative feature of the present disclosure is the ability
for a report to be
created over an extended period of time, taking into account changes in diet,
age, and activity level.
For instance, consumer 12 requirements for carbohydrates 72 can change as
activity level, age, and
diet changes. This embodiment, by using the aforementioned method of
calculating percentages,
may create a report wherein the consumer is able to see a long term
carbohydrates 72, or any other
item, intake trend while taking into account these changing factors. Consumer
12 can customize a
report to be generated over any period of time, taking into account any number
of factors part of
loyalty profile 24.
[0047] Figure 6 is an example of nutritional spreadsheet 130 that may be
created by
informational computer 20. Nutritional spreadsheet 130 contains information
including, but not
limited to, the carbohydrates 72, protein 154, total fat 156, total saturated
fat 100, cholesterol 160,
sodium 162, and vitamin C 164. The examples of contents of nutritional
spreadsheet 130 are given
for exemplary purposes only, and this information should not be construed to
limit what products
may be listed in nutritional spreadsheet 130. This information may include,
but is not limited to,
columns for an identifier for the nutrient 132, the household aggregate
purchase 134, the total daily
recommended intake 136, the number of days for which the nutrient was
purchased 138, and an
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index number 140. It is understood that index number 140 may correspond to
FDA, USDA, or other
third party recommendations.
[0048] Figure 7 is an example of a nutritional chart 150 created from
nutritional spreadsheet 130
which contains information including, but not limited to, the carbohydrates
72, protein 154, total fat
156, total saturated fat 100, cholesterol 160, sodium 162, and vitamin C 164.
In this example, the
index value is plotted and a visual line at the recommended index line 166 is
shown. This chart may
create a way to graphically represent aggregate nutritional data to consumer
12.
[0049] Figure 8 is a first screen shot 170 which may be displayed on a
personal computer used
by consumer 12 that could be used in one of the disclosed embodiments. In this
embodiment,
nutritional spreadsheet 130, nutritional chart 150 and displayed profile
information 172 related to
loyalty profile 24 is displayed. This screenshot illustrates how nutritional
management and meal
planning program 10 is capable of aggregating data from loyalty profile 24
into a user accessible
format.
[0050] Figure 9 is a second screen shot 180 which displays a customized
report. In this
example, nutritional chart 150, displayed profile information 172, and trend
graph 182 are displayed.
Trend graph 182 is an example of a customized report, where consumer 12 has
requested
information regarding total fat 156 consumption. Using this chart, consumer 12
can compare the
recommended intake of total fat 156 with the level recommended by the FDA,
USDA, or other
sources over a period of time. This example is given for illustrative
purposes, as any number of
items may be charted over any length of time.
[0051] In addition to the customized report mentioned in Figure 9 containing
items such as
nutritional chart 150, displayed profile information 172, and trend graph 182,
it is expressly
contemplated that the customized report may also contain information related
to the availability of
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items which meet recommended nutritional intake guidelines, the location of
store 18, the location of
items within store 18, and instructions for the preparation of meals using
items which meet the
nutritional intake guidelines. The phrase "nutritional intake guidelines" is
intended to refer to a set
of guidelines, such as the FDA recommended daily allowance (RDA). Nutritional
intake guidelines
include parameters including, but not limited to, the appropriate intake by
consumer 12 of grains,
sugars, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, beans, and oils.
[0052] Figure 10 is a flowchart of one method of finding meals that meet the
requirements of a
nutritional intake guideline. In this flowchart, tabulation unit 84 identifies
nutritional deficiencies in
meal plan (Block 192). One example of a deficiency in a meal plan might be an
inadequate amount
of protein as set forth in nutritional intake guidelines. Tabulation unit 84
matches deficiencies with
recipes that contain ingredients that compensate for deficiencies (Block 194).
For instance, if the
deficiency is in protein, tabulation unit 84 may recommend a meal that
contains beef. Tabulation
unit 84 verifies that the matched recipes contain ingredients that when added
to current dietary
intake does not exceed recommended levels (Block 196). For instance, if
recommended meals
contain an unsafe level of cholesterol, tabulation unit 84 will look for
alternative meals. If the
proposed meals do not contain ingredients that exceed recommended levels,
tabulation unit 84
creates a list of ingredients required to prepare the meals (Block 198).
Tabulation unit 84 will then
display a list of recipes and ingredients to prepare meals (Block 200).
[0053] Figure 11 is a screenshot 210 of suggested meals created by tabulation
unit 84. In this
screenshot, two meals are suggested. The first meal is meatloaf, and the
second meal is white bean
soup with tomatoes. It is contemplated that any number of meals may be
suggested, and may be
organized based on any factors including, but not limited to, analyzing prior
buying habits to match
existing purchased items with suggested meals in order to customize
suggestions based on the user's
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preferences, the number of people needed to be served by a meal, or any other
factor. In this
screenshot, consumer 12 may select a first box 212 for meatloaf and a second
box 214 for white
bean soup with tomatoes. After the user makes a selection, consumer 12 may add
the items to the
user's shopping cart by selecting box 216.
[0054] After consumer 12 makes a selection of a meal through an interface such
as the one
illustrated by Figure 11, consumer 12 may be presented with a list of items
used to make the meal
such as screenshot 220 illustrated by Figure 12. In this example, consumer 12
is shown the five
items 222 required to make the recipe. If consumer 12 does not desire to
purchase a particular item,
that item may be selected and removed through the remove button 224. In
addition to the
ingredients being listed, instructions for preparation 226 may also be
offered. It is contemplated that
in some embodiments, an option will be given to consumer 12 to substitute
certain items listed for
other items with similar dietary properties. For instance, if a consumer
prefers to use vegetable
stock instead of chicken broth, tabulation unit 84 could account for this
substitution. In addition, it
is also contemplated that consumer 12, when removing an item from the list,
could be prompted
with a message asking if the removed item going to be used in the recipe, or
if the removed item was
to be excluded from the recipe. This information may be used in the profile of
consumer 12 to better
cater to personal preferences.
[0055] In addition to tracking previous nutritional intake, tabulation unit 84
may also be capable
of projecting nutritional data based upon items in the nutritional chart.
Figure 13 is a flowchart 230
of one method of creating a nutrition chart based upon selected items.
Consumer 12 selects meals
from a list of suggestions as illustrated in Figure 10 (Block 232). Consumer
12 then selects items to
prepare meals (Block 234). It is envisioned that other options, such as
allowing consumer 12 to
specify the planned date of a meal, may also be made available. Tabulation
unit 84 creates a new
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nutrition chart illustrating the intake based upon current meals and items
selected (Block 236).
Informational computer displays the revised nutrition chart (Block 238). One
of the innovative
features of the disclosed embodiments is the ability to actively plan meals in
such a way that trend
charts are used not only retrospectively to chart intake, but also
prospectively to chart anticipated
intake. This feature also allows consumer 12 to specific any duration in which
to chart consumption
(e.g. last six months, last year, last six months and project based upon
current or anticipated
purchase the next six months, etc.)
[0056] The nutrition chart created by a method such as the method illustrated
by Figure 13 is
illustrated by the screenshot 250 shown in Figure 14. In this example, the
nutrition checklist 252 is
recreated using the items selected by consumer 12. This provides consumer 12
an anticipated trend
chart of intake based upon the meal decisions. Trend chart 254 illustrates
that the consumption of
fat will fall given the meal decisions made. Trend charts, such as trend chart
254, may be of any
nutritional item using the history of purchased items as well as the meal
planning features to show
anticipated intake.
[0057] Figure 15 is an illustration of a shopping list 260 created by
tabulation unit 84 based
upon consumer choices. Shopping list 260 may contain a first column 262
illustrating the name of
the item, and a second set of columns 264 illustrating the nutritional
contents of each item. The
items may be numbered to correspond with other informational lists, such as a
local store map that
illustrates the location of items within a store. An example of the numbering
of items to correspond
with the location of items is illustrated in Figure 17. In addition to
creating a shopping list,
promotional items may be added. These promotional items may be based upon
current items in the
shopping cart, previous items purchased, or any other factor programmed into
tabulation unit 84.
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[0058] As shown in Figure 16, once items have been selected, informational
computer 20 may
display a map 270 illustrating the location of local stores, including store
18 and a second store 272.
Informational computer 20 can prompt 274 consumer 12 to select a store. This
selection may enable
informational computer 20 to create a customized map of a store that
illustrates the location of items
within the store. It is further contemplated that the consumer, in some
embodiments, may be
prompted to choose another option, such as the option to have the chosen items
delivered, rather
than choose a local physical store.
[0059] Figure 17 is a store map 280 of a particular store 18 that illustrates
the location of items
numbered on shopping list 260. For instance, in this example, the first item
282 is located in aisle
two, the second item 284 is located on aisle four, and the third item 286 is
located on aisle seven. In
this way, the consumer can obtain a detailed map illustrating the location of
items within store 18
which are found in shopping list 260. This allows consumer 12 to quickly find
the required items
that correspond to the meal decisions made earlier.
[0060] Another of the innovative features of the present application is the
ability to take
products that were obtained at any time and add these products to the loyalty
profile. This addition
of products may be done in any way known to one skilled in the art. This
allows nutrition
management and meal planning program 10 to accepting input from numerous
sources, including,
but not limited to, a web interface as illustrated by Figure 18.
[0061] Figure 18 is a screenshot 290 of a web screen that allows for a user to
add existing
products to a loyalty profile. In this example, the user is capable of entered
a keyword into a box
292 and pressing a first submit button blue 296 to search for product that
exists in the database. For
instance, entering the brand name of a cereal might bring up all products in
the database that relate to
the cereal. Also in this example, the user can enter the universal product
code (UPC) number into a
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UPC box 294 and pressing a second submit button 298 and have the existing item
added directly to
the loyalty profile.
[0062] Figure 19 is a screenshot 300 of the results of mixing together the
ingredients already
present along with ingredients to be added to a shopping list. In this example
embodiment the to be
added field 304 indicates that tomatoes will be added to the shopping card, as
well as a field 302
which shows which items consumer 12 currently possesses. Consumer 12 is also
presented with
several options that may include searching for a different recipe 306,
searching for a different style
of recipe 308, and selecting the recipe 310. The phrase "style of recipe" is
intended to include, but
not be limited to, the type of cuisine (e.g. Tex-Mex, Italian, French, Indian,
etc.) presented to
consumer 12. An option 312 to quit is also offered.
[0063] It is expressly understood that consumer 12 may also be given
additional information in
screenshot 300, such as promotional materials, bundle offers, coupons, or any
other information. It
is further understood that some meals may be labeled "heart healthy" to
indicate certain nutrition or
dietary guidelines (e.g., low cholesterol, etc.) consistent with the
previously mentioned methods of
obtaining dietary information. It is expressly contemplated that the
screenshot may be used to
attempt to give consumer 12 new ways to use existing products, such as by
trying a new type of
cuisine which has previously not been presented to consumer 12.
[0064] It is explicitly understood that the recipe engine may contain any
number of indicators,
including, but not limited to indications for products which promote certain
kind of health conditions
(i.e. healthy heart, etc. It is further understood that the meal planning
program may be used to
customize reports for a particular type of nutrition styles, preferences, or
needs. For instance,
individuals that prefer a specific type of style of food (i.e. Cajun, etc.)
may elect to view only
recipies that are consistent with this type of food.
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[0065] Informational computer 20 described above may be implemented on any
general-purpose
computer 320 with sufficient processing power, memory resources, and network
throughput
capability to handle the necessary workload placed upon it. A user home
personal computer,
networked to a central informational computer 20 through a wide area network,
such as the Internet,
may be used in conjunction with the disclosed embodiments. The user home
personal computer
may share some, or all, of the elements of informational computer 20. Figure
20 illustrates a typical,
general-purpose computer system suitable for implementing one or more
embodiments disclosed
herein. The general-purpose computer 320 includes a processor 332 (which may
be referred to as a
central processor unit or CPU) that is in communication with memory devices
including secondary
storage 322, read only memory (ROM) 324, random access memory (RAM) 326,
input/output (I/O)
328 devices, and network connectivity devices 330. The processor may be
implemented as one or
more CPU chips.
[0066] The secondary storage 322 is typically comprised of one or more disk
drives or tape
drives and is used for non-volatile storage of data and as an over-flow data
storage device if RAM
326 is not large enough to hold all working data. Secondary storage 322 may be
used to store
programs that are loaded into RAM 326 when such programs are selected for
execution. The ROM
324 is used to store instructions and perhaps data that are read during
program execution. ROM 324
is a non-volatile memory device that typically has a small memory capacity
relative to the larger
memory capacity of secondary storage. The RAM 326 is used to store volatile
data and perhaps to
store instructions. Access to both ROM 324 and RAM 326 is typically faster
than to secondary
storage 322.
[0067] I/O 328 devices may include printers, video monitors, liquid crystal
displays (LCDs),
touch screen displays, keyboards, keypads, switches, dials, mice, track balls,
voice recognizers, card
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= readers, paper tape readers, or other well-known input devices. The network
connectivity devices
330 may take the form of modems, modem banks, ethernet cards, universal serial
bus (USB)
interface cards, serial interfaces, token ring cards, fiber distributed data
interface (FDDI) cards,
wireless local area network (WLAN) cards, radio transceiver cards such as code
division multiple
access (CDMA) and/or global system for mobile communications (GSM) radio
transceiver cards,
and other well-known network devices. These network connectivity devices 330
may enable the
processor 332 to communicate with an Internet or one or more intranets. With
such a network
connection, it is contemplated that the processor 332 might receive
information from the network, or
might output information to the network in the course of performing the above-
described method
steps. Such information, which is often represented as a sequence of
instructions to be executed
using processor 332, may be received from and outputted to the network, for
example, in the form of
a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave.
[0068] Such information, which may include data or instructions to be executed
using processor
332 for example, may be received from and outputted to the network, for
example, in the form of a
computer data baseband signal or signal embodied in a carrier wave. The
baseband signal or signal
embodied in the carrier wave generated by the network connectivity devices 330
may propagate in
or on the surface of electrical conductors, in coaxial cables, in waveguides,
in optical media, for
example optical fiber, or in the air or free space. The information contained
in the baseband signal
or signal embedded in the carrier wave may be ordered according to different
sequences, as may be
desirable for either processing or generating the information or transmitting
or receiving the
information. The baseband signal or signal embedded in the carrier wave, or
other types of signals
currently used or hereafter developed, referred to herein as the transmission
medium, may be
generated according to several methods well known to one skilled in the art.
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[0069] The processor 332 executes instructions, codes, computer programs,
scripts that it
accesses from hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk (these various disk based
systems may all be
considered secondary storage 322), ROM 324, RAM 326, or the network
connectivity devices 330.
[0070] While several embodiments have been provided in the present disclosure,
it should be
understood that the disclosed systems and methods might be embodied in many
other specific forms
without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The
present examples are to be
considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is not to be
limited to the details given
herein. For example, the various elements or components may be combined or
integrated in another
system or certain features may be omitted, or not implemented.
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