Information providing method, information providing system, and program

Abstract

The information provision method is a computer-executed information provision method, comprising: a step of obtaining reference ingredient information representing a reference ingredient and the amount of the reference ingredient; a step of deriving, from the multiple reference ingredients, information representing at least one alternative ingredient used as a substitute for the reference ingredient and the amount of the at least one alternative ingredient, based on the amount of the reference ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in each of the multiple reference ingredients; and a step of outputting the alternative ingredient information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to methods, systems, and procedures for providing information related to food ingredients. Background Technology

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an information processing device that enables users to grasp the reproducibility of a recipe considering individual differences in the ingredients included in the recipe, or the reproducibility of a recipe when the ingredients included in the recipe are replaced with other ingredients.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a recipe providing device that can effectively assist users in cooking. Upon receiving a change request for modifying recipe information, this device outputs modified recipe information as replacement information for the original recipe information.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7095267

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-102185 Summary of the Invention

[0008] However, in the technologies shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is sometimes impossible to produce the food if some of the various ingredients required for its preparation are missing.

[0009] This disclosure provides information on methods for producing the food or a similar food even without using some of the ingredients required for food production.

[0010] One technical solution disclosed herein relates to an information provision method executed by a computer, comprising: a step of obtaining reference ingredient information representing a reference ingredient and the quantity of the reference ingredient; a step of deriving, from the plurality of reference ingredients, information representing at least one alternative ingredient used as a substitute for the reference ingredient and the quantity of the at least one alternative ingredient, based on the quantity of the reference ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in each of the plurality of reference ingredients; and a step of outputting the alternative ingredient information.

[0011] One technical solution disclosed herein relates to an information providing system comprising a server for deriving alternative ingredients used as substitutes for a reference ingredient. The server obtains information representing the reference ingredient and the amount of the reference ingredient. Based on the amount of the reference ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in various reference ingredients, at least one alternative ingredient is derived from the various reference ingredients, and information representing the amount of the at least one alternative ingredient is derived.

[0012] One technical solution disclosed herein relates to a program that enables a computer to execute the aforementioned information provision method.

[0013] Furthermore, the general or specific technical solutions of this disclosure can be implemented by systems, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs or computer-readable CD-ROMs and other recording media, or by any combination of systems, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs and recording media.

[0014] Based on the information provision methods disclosed herein, information can be provided on how to make the food or a food equivalent to the food even without using some of the ingredients from the multiple ingredients. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is an illustration showing an example of food prepared using a variety of ingredients.

[0016] Figure 2 It indicates the use of and Figure 1 The illustration shows examples of various ingredients used to prepare food.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the information providing system involved in the implementation method.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the information providing system involved in the implementation method.

[0019] Figure 5 This is an example of a diagram representing recipe information corresponding to a food item stored in a recipe database.

[0020] Figure 6 This is an example of a diagram representing reference ingredient information stored in an ingredient database.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an example of reference recipe information related to the reference recipe of the food to which the recipe is being changed.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of candidate information representing potential changes to a baseline recipe.

[0023] Figure 9 It means targeting Figure 8 The image shows an example of a screen on the output section of a terminal device displaying candidate information that reflects the user's needs, i.e., change request information.

[0024] Figure 10 This is an example of a list of chemical components of an ingredient created based on change request information.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a candidate alternative to a benchmark ingredient.

[0026] Figure 12 This is a diagram representing an example of alternative recipe information that includes information on alternative ingredients.

[0027] Figure 13 It is a graph that shows the reproducibility of the chemical composition content of substitute ingredients for a reference ingredient.

[0028] Figure 14 This is an example of a screen that displays the reproduction rate of the content of substitute ingredients and chemical components for a reference ingredient.

[0029] Figure 15 This is an example of an ingredient information that is not saved in a database.

[0030] Figure 16 This is an example of other alternative ingredients.

[0031] Figure 17 This is an example of information about alternative recipes that use other substitute ingredients.

[0032] Figure 18 It is a diagram that shows information related to other alternative ingredients.

[0033] Figure 19 This is an example of a scene shown when there are no alternative ingredients.

[0034] Figure 20 This is a diagram illustrating the operational flow of the information providing system involved in the implementation method.

[0035] Figure 21 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of an information providing system involved in a variation of the implementation method.

[0036] Figure 22 This is a diagram illustrating the operation flow of an information providing system involved in a variation of the implementation method.

[0037] Figure 23 This is a diagram representing an example of a list of candidate alternative ingredients that includes multiple alternative ingredients.

[0038] Figure 24 This is an example of a screen used to select an alternative ingredient from a list of alternative ingredients. Detailed Implementation

[0039] (The insights that form the basis of this disclosure)

[0040] Foods can be made using a variety of ingredients.

[0041] Figure 1 This is an illustration showing an example of food prepared using a variety of ingredients.

[0042] exist Figure 1 The image shows an example of making fresh pasta (raw spaghetti) using various ingredients such as wheat flour, salt, eggs, and olive oil. Figure 1 In the example shown, food cannot be made without all the ingredients.

[0043] Figure 2 It indicates the use of and Figure 1 The illustration shows examples of various ingredients used to prepare food.

[0044] exist Figure 2 The text shows the use of rice flour, salt, eggs, and rice oil, etc. Figure 1 The examples shown illustrate how to prepare fresh pasta using various ingredients and alternatives. Through, for instance... Figure 2 As shown, alternative ingredients can be used to prepare the food or an equivalent food, even when some of the ingredients needed to make the food are unavailable. Additionally, even in cases of allergies (in... Figure 2 Even in cases where there is a wheat allergy (e.g., when there are ingredients that cannot be used), it is still possible to prepare the food or an equivalent food without the allergen. Furthermore, even if one intentionally does not want to use certain ingredients due to preference, or intends to use other ingredients such as local specialties, it is still possible to prepare the food or an equivalent food.

[0045] Furthermore, the examples shown above are of food ingredients processed before cooking, but are not limited to this. Food can also be the result of cooking (in other words, a dish). For example, a dish made with multiple ingredients such as fresh pasta, eggs, cheese powder, and bacon can be called bacon and egg sauce pasta (carbonni). In other words, any food made with multiple ingredients can be included, including processed ingredients before cooking and the result of cooking.

[0046] However, the inventors have discovered three main problems regarding the use of alternative ingredients.

[0047] First, the sensory evaluation of foods using substitute ingredients is lower than that of foods not using substitute ingredients, and foods using substitute ingredients are considered to be unpalatable.

[0048] Second, foods that use substitute ingredients sometimes have one or more nutrients that differ from foods that do not use substitute ingredients.

[0049] Third, substitute ingredients are not simply equal substitutes; sometimes it is necessary to adjust the quantity based on the ingredients being substituted or the food prepared using the substitute ingredients.

[0050] To address the three problems mentioned above, the inventors, focusing on the chemical composition of food ingredients, have developed a method for providing information on how to produce a food or a food equivalent to the food even without using some of the ingredients required for food production. The following is an example of an information provision method related to one technical solution of this disclosure.

[0051] Example 1 is an information provision method executed by a computer, comprising: a step of obtaining reference ingredient information representing a reference ingredient and the quantity of the reference ingredient; a step of deriving, from the multiple reference ingredients, information representing at least one alternative ingredient used as a substitute for the reference ingredient and the quantity of the at least one alternative ingredient, based on the quantity of the reference ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in each of the multiple reference ingredients; and a step of outputting the alternative ingredient information.

[0052] By deriving alternative ingredients and their quantities based on the amount of a benchmark ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the benchmark ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in various reference ingredients, information can be provided that the food or a food equivalent to the food can be made even without using some of the ingredients required to make the food.

[0053] The information provision method in Example 2, based on the information provision method described in Example 1, may also include, in the step of deriving the information of the alternative ingredients, selecting a reference ingredient containing the chemical components contained in the benchmark ingredient from among the multiple reference ingredients as the at least one alternative ingredient, and deriving the quantity of the at least one alternative ingredient based on the quantity of the benchmark ingredient, the content of the chemical components contained in the benchmark ingredient, and the content of the chemical components contained in the at least one alternative ingredient.

[0054] By selecting reference ingredients that contain the chemical components of the baseline ingredient as substitutes, it is possible to appropriately select alternative ingredients. This provides information on how to produce a food or a food equivalent to it even without using only a portion of the many ingredients required for its preparation.

[0055] The information provision method in Example 3, based on the information provision method described in Example 1 or 2, may also include the following: the chemical components contained in the reference food ingredient include one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the reference food ingredient. In the step of deriving the information of the alternative food ingredient, the at least one alternative food ingredient is derived from the multiple reference food ingredients in a manner that includes all the chemical components in the one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the reference food ingredient. Based on the amount of the reference food ingredient and the content of all the chemical components in the one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the reference food ingredient, and the content of all the chemical components in the one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the at least one alternative food ingredient, the amount of the at least one alternative food ingredient is derived.

[0056] By deriving alternative ingredients that contain all of the predetermined chemical components found in one or more of the base ingredients, alternative ingredients can be appropriately derived. This allows for the provision of information on how to produce the food or a food equivalent to it, even without using only a portion of the many ingredients required for food production.

[0057] The information provision method in Example 4 is based on the information provision method described in Example 3. Alternatively, the at least one alternative ingredient may contain a chemical component that is different from the one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the reference ingredient.

[0058] Accordingly, it is possible to provide information about ingredients containing chemical components different from those of a reference ingredient as alternative ingredients. This allows for the provision of information on how to produce a food or a food equivalent to that food even without using only a portion of the many ingredients required for its preparation.

[0059] The information provision method in Example 5 is based on any one of the information provision methods in Examples 1 to 4. Alternatively, the reference ingredient information may be included in the reference recipe information representing the food made using the reference ingredient, the information representing the content of the chemical components contained in each of the multiple reference ingredients may be included in the reference ingredient information, and the alternative ingredient information may be included in the alternative recipe information representing the food made using at least one of the alternative ingredients. In the step of deriving the alternative ingredient information, the alternative recipe information is derived based on the reference recipe information and the reference ingredient information.

[0060] By deriving alternative recipe information based on baseline recipe information and reference ingredient information in this way, it is possible to provide alternative recipes that are comparable to the baseline recipe, even without using some of the baseline ingredients.

[0061] The information provision method in Example 6 is based on the information provision method described in Example 5. Alternatively, the benchmark ingredient information may also include information representing sensory evaluations associated with the benchmark ingredient, the reference ingredient information may also include information representing sensory evaluations associated with each of the multiple reference ingredients, and the alternative ingredient information may also include information representing sensory evaluations associated with the alternative ingredient. In the step of deriving the alternative ingredient information, a reference ingredient among the multiple reference ingredients that contains sensory evaluations associated with the benchmark ingredient is derived as at least one alternative ingredient, and the alternative ingredient information is derived.

[0062] Accordingly, reference ingredients representing sensory evaluations associated with benchmark ingredients can be derived as alternative ingredients, and information related to these alternative ingredients representing the sensory evaluation can be provided. Thus, information can be provided on how to produce the food or a food equivalent to it even without using only a portion of the many ingredients required for its preparation.

[0063] The information provision method in Example 7 is based on the information provision method described in Example 6. Alternatively, the sensory evaluation associated with the reference ingredient may have one or more predetermined sensory evaluations associated with the reference ingredient. In the step of deriving the alternative ingredient information, the at least one alternative ingredient may be derived from the plurality of reference ingredients in a manner that includes all sensory evaluations in the one or more predetermined sensory evaluations associated with the reference ingredient.

[0064] Accordingly, it is possible to derive reference ingredients representing one or more predetermined sensory evaluations associated with a benchmark ingredient as alternative ingredients, and to provide information related to the alternative ingredients representing those sensory evaluations. Thus, it is possible to provide information on how to produce the food or a food equivalent to the food even without using some of the ingredients required for its preparation.

[0065] Based on the information provision method in any one of Examples 1 to 8, the information provision method in Example 8 may also include, in the step of deriving the information of the alternative ingredients, deriving a recurrence rate representing the degree of recurrence of the benchmark ingredient, and deriving the at least one alternative ingredient based on the recurrence rate.

[0066] By deriving alternative ingredients based on the above recurrence rates, information can be provided about alternative ingredients with high recurrence rates to the benchmark ingredients.

[0067] The information provision method in Example 9 is based on the information provision method shown in Example 8. Alternatively, the reproducibility rate can be the ratio of a value obtained based on the amount of the reference ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in the reference ingredient to a value obtained based on the amount of the substitute ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in the substitute ingredient.

[0068] By deriving alternative ingredients based on the above recurrence rates, information can be provided about alternative ingredients with high recurrence rates to the benchmark ingredients.

[0069] The information provision method in Example 10 is based on the information provision method described in Example 8. Alternatively, the alternative ingredients may include multiple alternative ingredients, and the reproducibility rate is the ratio of a value obtained based on the amount of the reference ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in the reference ingredient to a value obtained by summing the values ​​obtained for each of the multiple alternative ingredients based on the amount of the alternative ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in the alternative ingredient.

[0070] By deriving alternative ingredients based on the above recurrence rates, information can be provided regarding alternative ingredients with a high total recurrence rate compared to the baseline ingredients.

[0071] The information providing method of Example 11, based on the information providing method of any one of Examples 1 to 10, may also include, in the step of deriving the alternative ingredient information, extracting candidates of multiple alternative ingredients used as substitutes for the benchmark ingredient from the multiple reference ingredients, accepting the selection of at least one alternative ingredient used as a substitute for the benchmark ingredient from the candidates of multiple alternative ingredients, and, based on the acceptance of the selected at least one alternative ingredient, deriving the alternative ingredient information representing the alternative ingredient and the quantity of the alternative ingredient.

[0072] Accordingly, for example, it is possible to use alternative ingredients desired by the user to prepare food.

[0073] The information providing system of Example 12 has a server that derives alternative ingredients used as substitutes for a reference ingredient. The server obtains information representing the reference ingredient and the amount of the reference ingredient. Based on the amount of the reference ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in various reference ingredients, it derives at least one alternative ingredient from the various reference ingredients and derives information representing the amount of the at least one alternative ingredient.

[0074] By deriving alternative ingredients and their quantities based on the amount of a benchmark ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the benchmark ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in various reference ingredients, information can be provided that the food or a food equivalent to the food can be made even without using some of the ingredients required to make the food.

[0075] The program in Example 13 is a program that causes a computer to execute the information provision method described in any one of Examples 1 to 12.

[0076] According to this program, the above-mentioned information provision method can be executed.

[0077] The following, with reference to the accompanying drawings, provides a detailed description of an information provision method and system involved in one of the technical solutions of this disclosure.

[0078] Furthermore, the embodiments described below are all specific examples of this disclosure. The numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, the arrangement and connection of constituent elements, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit this disclosure. In addition, constituent elements in the following embodiments that are not described in the independent claims representing the highest-level concept are described as arbitrary constituent elements. Figures 6-11 , Figures 13-16 , Figures 18-19 "Fragrance of grease" "Sweetness" can also mean "fatty aroma and sweetness".

[0079] (Implementation Method)

[0080] [Overall Structure of an Information Provision System]

[0081] Reference Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The overall structure of the information providing system involved in the implementation method will be described.

[0082] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the information providing system 1 involved in the implementation method. Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the information providing system 1 involved in the implementation method.

[0083] The information providing system 1 includes a terminal device 10, a server 50, and a database 90. Furthermore, in Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The image also shows a user utilizing the information providing system 1. The terminal device 10 receives various inputs from the user and provides the user with various information.

[0084] Terminal device 10 communicates with server 50 via a communication network. Server 50 communicates with database 90 via a communication network. Alternatively, database 90 may be located within server 50, rather than outside of it.

[0085] Terminal device 10 is a device for sending and receiving various types of information with server 50 and users using information provision system 1. Users may be, for example, chefs who cook, culinary researchers who develop recipes, and researchers who develop cooking equipment. Chefs may be people who cook in restaurants, or people who cook in culinary schools or at home.

[0086] The terminal device 10 is, for example, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a smartphone. The terminal device 10 includes an input unit 11, an output unit 12, and a control unit 15.

[0087] The control unit 15 has the function of controlling the input unit 11 and the output unit 12. In addition, the control unit 15 has the communication function of communicating with the server 50.

[0088] The input unit 11 is a device that allows a user to input the required information into the terminal device 10. The input unit 11 can be one of a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, and a microphone (voice input), or any combination thereof. The terminal device 10 receives various information from the user via the input unit 11.

[0089] Output unit 12 is a device capable of providing the user with necessary information, prompting the user for necessary judgments, and inputting the judgment results. Output unit 12 can be one or any combination of a display, printer, and speaker. Examples of displays include liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and CRT monitors (cathode ray tube displays). Control unit 15 causes output unit 12 to output various information sent from server 50. In other words, terminal device 10 uses output unit 12 to provide various information to the user. Input unit 11 and output unit 12 can also be composed of a touch panel. Terminal device 10 may also exclude input unit 11, but instead connect terminal device 10 to input unit 11 via wired or wireless means. Terminal device 10 may also exclude output unit 12, but instead connect terminal device 10 to output unit 12 via wired or wireless means.

[0090] During the initial stage of using the information provision system 1, the user inputs food information into the terminal device 10. This food information relates to the food the user desires. In other words, it relates to the food the user wants to prepare. Further, it relates to the food to which the recipe is to be changed. The terminal device 10 sends the received food information to the server 50. Additionally, the terminal device 10 receives baseline recipe information I1 and alternative recipe information I2 from the server 50. The baseline recipe information I1 and the alternative recipe information I2 will be described later.

[0091] Server 50 is a device that sends and receives information with terminal device 10 and database 90. In this embodiment, server 50 provides alternative ingredients to those used in food preparation. Server 50 may be, for example, a computer, and is located in the building of the management company that manages server 50.

[0092] like Figure 4 As shown, server 50 includes a first information acquisition unit 51, a second information acquisition unit 52, and an information processing unit 55. Information processing unit 55 has the function of controlling the first information acquisition unit 51 and the second information acquisition unit 52. Furthermore, information processing unit 55 has communication functions for communicating with terminal device 10 and database 90. Server 50 stores programs for information processing (data processing) performed by information processing unit 55. Each component of server 50 can also be a software function implemented by executing the program stored in server 50.

[0093] The first information acquisition unit 51 acquires information sent from the terminal device 10. The second information acquisition unit 52 acquires information sent from the database 90. For example, the first information acquisition unit 51 acquires food information, recipe change request information, etc., sent from the terminal device 10. The second information acquisition unit 52 acquires the baseline recipe information I1 and information related to candidate alternative ingredients, etc., sent from the database 90. Alternatively, a single information acquisition unit may be used, comprising the first information acquisition unit 51 and the second information acquisition unit 52.

[0094] Database 90 is, for example, a computer such as a database server. Database 90 includes a recipe database 91 and an ingredient database 92. Recipe database 91 stores data related to multiple recipes. Ingredient database 92 stores data related to multiple reference ingredient information ir. Database 90 retrieves information corresponding to the request from the information stored in recipe database 91 and ingredient database 92 and sends it to server 50.

[0095] Furthermore, database 90 can be composed of a separate computer from server 50, or it can be composed of one or more computers using virtualization technology. Alternatively, database 90 can be composed of the same computer as server 50. Database 90 can also be general-purpose big data.

[0096] [Detailed Structure of an Information Provision System]

[0097] Reference Figures 4-19 The detailed structure of information provision system 1 will be explained.

[0098] Figure 4 The terminal device 10 shown receives food information from the user. In this embodiment, an example of "fresh pasta" being the food subject to a recipe change will be described. In this example, the food information may be "fresh pasta". The terminal device 10 sends the food information received from the user to the server 50.

[0099] Server 50 obtains food information sent from terminal device 10 and sends the obtained food information to database 90.

[0100] Figure 5 This is an example of a recipe information corresponding to a food item stored in recipe database 91.

[0101] exist Figure 5 The image shows multiple recipe information stored in recipe database 91. Recipe information (a) shows the recipe information corresponding to "fresh pasta," and recipe information (b) shows the recipe information corresponding to "bacon and egg sauce pasta." The recipe information includes information related to the food, the various ingredients required to make the food, and the quantity of each ingredient. Furthermore, the recipe information in this embodiment includes information indicating whether each of the various ingredients can be changed to another ingredient. This information indicating whether an ingredient can be changed to another ingredient can be called changeable ingredient information.

[0102] Ingredients are the materials needed to make food. Ingredients can be raw materials themselves, processed ingredients that have undergone some degree of processing, or seasonings. Food is an item made using a variety of ingredients. As mentioned earlier, food can be processed ingredients before cooking or the result of cooking (in other words, a dish).

[0103] Figure 6 This is a diagram representing an example of reference ingredient information ir stored in ingredient database 92.

[0104] Reference ingredient information (ir) is ingredient information used as a reference for generating baseline recipe information (I1) and alternative recipe information (I2). Reference ingredient information (ir) includes information related to the ingredient's ID (identification number), the ingredient's name, its morphology, its chemical components (names of the chemical components), the content of these chemical components, and its sensory evaluation. Furthermore, reference ingredient information (ir) does not necessarily need to be stored in a database; it can be obtained beforehand from information on related ingredients, from which information related to chemical components and quantities can be extracted.

[0105] Information related to the form of food ingredients is information indicating the state of the substance as a food ingredient, such as whether it is a powder, liquid, or solid.

[0106] Information relating to the chemical composition of an ingredient refers to one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the ingredient. For example, one or more predetermined chemical components may be important chemical components that characterize the ingredient among a plurality of chemical components contained in the ingredient, or chemical components present in large quantities among a plurality of chemical components. The predetermined chemical components shown in the ingredient information ir can be one or more.

[0107] Information related to sensory evaluation refers to information relating to sensory components. Sensory evaluation can be any of the following: taste, smell, and touch. Taste can be any of the sensations associated with sweetness, bitterness, sourness, umami, and saltiness. Smell can be any of the sensations associated with sweet aromas, bitter aromas, fatty aromas, and sour aromas. Touch can be what is known as mouthfeel. Mouthfeel can be any of the following: mouthfeel related to stickiness, mouthfeel related to elasticity (hardness), mouthfeel related to resilience, mouthfeel related to viscousness, and mouthfeel related to absorbency. Human senses are closely related to the chemical components contained in food.

[0108] exist Figure 6 The text shows an ingredient with the ID (identification number) "10292" for "wheat flour (high-gluten flour in this example)". The ingredient is in powder form and contains predetermined chemical components such as "glutenin, gliadin, and starch". Additionally, in... Figure 6 The table shows the contents of gluten, gliadin, and starch as 6%, 7%, and 72%, respectively. Furthermore, the contents of each chemical component are calculated by setting the total content of all chemical components in the food to 100. Figure 6 The content is expressed as a percentage (%). Additionally, in... Figure 6 The study shows that the ingredient "wheat flour" is highly associated with "textures related to elasticity, textures related to stickiness, and sensations related to sweetness."

[0109] Database 90 extracts information related to the recipes of the food that is the object of recipe changes from recipe database 91 and ingredient database 92 based on the food information sent from server 50, and generates baseline recipe information I1.

[0110] Figure 7 This is a diagram representing an example of baseline recipe information I1. In Figure 7 In this context, the reference recipe information I1 indicates that various ingredients included in the reference recipe information I1 are used to prepare the food shown in the reference recipe information I1. Each of the various ingredients used can be an ingredient initially set as a commonly used ingredient, or an ingredient arbitrarily set by the user. Alternatively, it can be an ingredient determined based on commercially available cookbooks and / or information from chefs. Some or all of the information included in the reference recipe information I1 can be interpreted as information that is considered when the user changes ingredients, etc. The reference recipe information I1 includes, for example, information related to the food (the name of the food), information related to the various ingredients used to prepare the food (the names of the ingredients), information related to the form of the ingredients, information related to the quantity (amount used) of the ingredients, information related to the sensory evaluation of the ingredients, and information related to the chemical composition of the ingredients. In addition, the reference recipe information I1 may also include information indicating whether an ingredient can be changed to another ingredient, i.e., information on whether the ingredient can be changed. The ingredients included in the reference recipe information I1 are defined as reference ingredients in this embodiment. Specifically, Figure 7 The baseline recipe information I1 indicates "fresh pasta". The baseline recipe information I1 for "fresh pasta" contains 5 baseline ingredients. More specifically, the 5 baseline ingredients are wheat flour (high-gluten flour), olive oil, eggs (egg whites), eggs (egg yolks), and salt.

[0111] Information related to the benchmark ingredient includes information about the ingredient (its name), its form, its quantity (usage), its sensory evaluation, and its chemical composition. Additionally, the benchmark ingredient information may include information indicating whether it can be changed to another ingredient, i.e., information on whether the ingredient can be changed. Figure 7 This includes baseline ingredient information for "wheat flour (high-gluten flour)," "olive oil," "egg (egg white)," "egg (yolk)," and "salt." In other words, baseline recipe information I1 contains multiple baseline ingredient entries.

[0112] Database 90 generates baseline recipe information I1 based on recipe information and reference ingredient information ir, and sends it to server 50. Furthermore, this example shows database 90 generating baseline recipe information I1, but it is not limited to this; server 50 can also generate baseline recipe information I1. In this case, server 50 generates baseline recipe information I1 based on recipe information corresponding to food information stored in database 90 and reference ingredient information ir.

[0113] Server 50 will send the baseline recipe information I1 received from database 90 or the baseline recipe information I1 generated by server 50 itself to terminal device 10.

[0114] The control unit 15 included in the terminal device 10 generates candidate information Cq based on the baseline recipe information I1 sent from the server 50, and displays the generated candidate information Cq on the display included in the output unit 12. For example, the candidate information Cq includes the food and various ingredients corresponding to the food included in the baseline recipe information I1, and one or more sensory evaluations corresponding to the ingredients. The terminal device 10 receives a request from the user to change the displayed candidate information Cq.

[0115] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating an example of candidate information Cq representing potential changes to a baseline recipe. Figure 8 In the diagram, candidate information Cq is shown surrounded by a thick dashed line.

[0116] The control unit 15 refers to the change-possibility information of each of the multiple baseline ingredient information contained in the baseline recipe information I1, and generates candidate information Cq based on the information corresponding to the baseline ingredient information whose change-possibility information indicates "possible". That is, the candidate information Cq does not contain information corresponding to the baseline ingredient information whose change-possibility information indicates "incompatible". Specifically, Figure 7 The information for "salt" among the multiple baseline ingredient information provided indicates that changes are not permitted. Therefore... Figure 8 The candidate information Cq shown does not contain information corresponding to the baseline ingredient information "salt".

[0117] Figure 8 The candidate information Cq shown includes information related to food, information related to ingredients, and information related to sensory evaluation. Figure 8 The information shown regarding ingredients is the baseline information indicating whether changes to ingredient information are permissible ("yes"). Furthermore, in... Figure 8 In the diagram, ingredients not selected for change are represented by a grid shaded area. The terminal device 10 receives the ingredients shown in the user's candidate information Cq, as well as the sensory evaluations of the ingredients to be changed and the sensory evaluations to be maintained.

[0118] Figure 9 It means targeting Figure 8 The candidate information Cq, which reflects the user's needs, namely the change request information Cr, is displayed on the screen of the output section (display section) of the terminal device 10.

[0119] In this example, "wheat flour" and "olive oil," among the various base ingredients for fresh pasta, are input as changed ingredients. Furthermore, in this example, among the sensory evaluations of "wheat flour" ("elasticity, stickiness, sweetness"), "elasticity and stickiness" are selected as the sensory evaluations to be maintained. This indicates the user's intention to maintain "sweetness" whether or not. Additionally, among the sensory evaluations of "olive oil" as a base ingredient, "fatty aroma and sweetness" are selected as the sensory evaluations to be maintained. Terminal device 10 sends the change request information Cr to server 50. Figure 9 As a specific example, the example shows changes to ingredients and the sensory evaluation to be maintained. However, it is also possible to accept user input regarding changes to prohibited ingredients or changeable sensory evaluations.

[0120] Server 50 obtains the change request information Cr sent from terminal device 10, and creates a chemical composition list Lc based on the change request information Cr.

[0121] Figure 10 This is a diagram representing an example of a list of chemical components Lc of ingredients created based on change request information Cr.

[0122] The chemical composition list Lc includes information related to the sensory evaluation shown in the change request information Cr, information related to the food ingredient to be changed, and information related to the morphology of that food ingredient. Additionally, the chemical composition list Lc includes information related to one or more of the aforementioned predetermined chemical components.

[0123] Server 50 creates a chemical composition list Lc based on the ingredients of the object to be changed, the sensory evaluation to be maintained, as indicated in the change request information Cr, and the aforementioned baseline recipe information I1. For example, server 50 lists the chemical compositions in a manner consistent with the chemical compositions contained in the ingredients of the object to be changed and the chemical compositions related to the sensory evaluation to be maintained.

[0124] In this example, the chemical component "gluten" is listed. Gluten is a chemical component found in wheat flour and is related to "elasticity." Additionally, gliadin is listed. Gliadin is a chemical component found in wheat flour and is related to "adhesiveness." Furthermore, oleic acid is listed. Oleic acid is a chemical component found in olive oil and is related to "fatty aroma and sweetness." Focusing on chemical components aims to find alternative ingredients that possess the characteristics of the ingredient being modified.

[0125] Server 50 sends the created chemical composition list Lc to database 90. Database 90 generates information from food ingredient database 92 regarding alternative ingredients to the food ingredient being changed. Specifically, database 90 extracts food ingredients containing the chemical composition list Lc from the reference food ingredient information ir in food ingredient database 92 as candidates for alternative ingredients.

[0126] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a candidate alternative to a benchmark ingredient.

[0127] exist Figure 11 In this study, ingredients with the same chemical composition and sensory evaluation as the target ingredient were extracted as candidate substitutes. In this example, barley flour and rye flour were shown as candidate substitutes for wheat flour. Barley flour has the same chemical component as wheat flour (gluten) and the same sensory evaluation (elasticity), and is therefore listed as a candidate substitute for wheat flour. Similarly, rye flour has the same chemical component as wheat flour (gliadin) and the same sensory evaluation (adhesiveness), and is therefore listed as a candidate substitute for wheat flour.

[0128] Additionally, in this example, rice oil is shown as a candidate alternative to olive oil. Rice oil has the same chemical component as olive oil, namely oleic acid, and the sensory evaluation of "fatty aroma and sweetness," and is therefore listed as a candidate alternative to olive oil.

[0129] Furthermore, while the above description illustrates an example of extracting alternative ingredients in a manner consistent with predetermined chemical composition, it is not limited to this. For instance, database 90 may also extract candidate alternative ingredients in a manner where the form of the ingredient to be changed is consistent with the form of the alternative ingredient. Additionally, database 90 may also extract reference ingredients from a variety of reference ingredients that include sensory evaluations associated with a benchmark ingredient as candidate alternative ingredients.

[0130] Furthermore, while the above description illustrates an example of database 90 generating candidate alternative ingredients, it is not limited to this; candidate alternative ingredients can also be generated by server 50. In this case, server 50 retrieves reference ingredient information ir from database 90 corresponding to the chemical components of chemical component list Lc, and based on this reference ingredient information ir, generates and retrieves information related to the candidate alternative ingredients. Based on the candidate alternative ingredients, server 50 generates alternative recipe information I2 containing alternative ingredient information i2.

[0131] Figure 12 This is a diagram representing an example of alternative recipe information I2 that includes alternative ingredient information i2.

[0132] Alternative Recipe Information I2 represents information about alternative recipes for the food being considered for recipe changes. Alternative Recipe Information I2 contains information about the food being considered for recipe changes and the alternative ingredients needed to prepare that food. Figure 12 The text shows alternative recipe information for "fresh pasta" (I2).

[0133] Information related to alternative ingredients, namely alternative ingredient information i2, includes information about the ingredients used as alternative ingredients, the form of the alternative ingredients, the quantity of the alternative ingredients, the sensory evaluation of the alternative ingredients, and the chemical components contained in the alternative ingredients.

[0134] exist Figure 12 The text shows an alternative recipe for "fresh pasta" as "wheat flour, olive oil, eggs (egg whites), eggs (egg yolks), and salt," along with information on alternative ingredients related to these ingredients (i2). Furthermore, since the food subject to the recipe change is prepared using at least one alternative ingredient, the alternative recipe includes both ingredients identical to those in the baseline recipe information (i1) and ingredients that are different from those in the original recipe.

[0135] In this way, server 50 exports reference ingredients from the multiple reference ingredients in the ingredient database 92 that contain the chemical components of the baseline ingredient as at least one alternative ingredient. For example, server 50 exports at least one alternative ingredient from multiple reference ingredients in a manner that includes all of the chemical components of one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the baseline ingredient. In this example, the predetermined chemical components contained in "wheat flour" as the baseline ingredient are "glutenin" and "gliadin," and the chemical components contained in "barley flour" and "rye flour" as alternative ingredients are "glutenin" and "gliadin," respectively.

[0136] Furthermore, not limited to chemical composition, server 50 can also derive at least one alternative ingredient from multiple reference ingredients by including all sensory evaluations in one or more predetermined sensory evaluations associated with the reference ingredient. In this example, the predetermined sensory evaluations associated with "wheat flour" as the reference ingredient are "elasticity" and "adhesion," and the predetermined sensory evaluations associated with "barley flour" and "rye flour" as alternative ingredients are "elasticity" and "adhesion," respectively.

[0137] Furthermore, server 50 also exports the quantities of alternative ingredients.

[0138] For example, the amount of substitute ingredients is calculated in a way that makes the ratio of their chemical composition as similar as possible to that of the reference ingredient. In this case, the content of "gluten" in "wheat flour" is 6%, and the content of "gliadin" is 7% (see reference). Figure 6 On the other hand, barley flour contains 3% gluten, while rye flour contains 6% gliadin (see reference). Figure 11 Therefore, to achieve a gluten-to-gliadin ratio in the substitute ingredient that is 6:7, similar to that of wheat flour, the ratio of barley flour to rye flour needs to be set to 63:37. For example, if the amount of wheat flour being changed is 100g, it should be prepared by combining 100g of barley flour and rye flour as substitute ingredients. Figure 12 As shown, the weight of "barley flour" is 63g and the weight of "rye flour" is 37g.

[0139] In this way, server 50 derives the quantity of the substitute ingredient based on the quantity of the reference ingredient, the content of its chemical components, and the content of its chemical components. For example, server 50 derives the quantity of the substitute ingredient based on the quantity of the reference ingredient, the content of all chemical components among one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of all chemical components among one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the substitute ingredient. Accordingly, even without using some of the ingredients required to make the food, it is possible to produce the food or a food equivalent to the food.

[0140] Furthermore, in the above Figure 11 The server 50 shows one or a group of candidate alternative ingredients, but is not limited to this. The server 50 can also extract multiple or multiple groups of candidate alternative ingredients as candidates for alternative ingredients and select one or a group of appropriate alternative ingredients from them.

[0141] The relationship between the types of base ingredients and the types of substitute ingredients can be different, such as a one-to-many relationship like that of olive oil, rather than a one-to-one relationship. Alternatively, the relationship can also be many-to-one, rather than a one-to-one relationship.

[0142] For example, server 50 can also derive a reproducibility rate R, representing the degree of reproducibility of the baseline ingredient, from a variety of candidate alternative ingredients, and generate alternative recipes using alternative ingredients with a high reproducibility rate R. The reproducibility rate R is the ratio of a value derived from the quantity and chemical content of the baseline ingredient to a value derived from the quantity and chemical content of the alternative ingredient. The reproducibility rate R is represented by a value greater than 0 and less than 1; the closer to 1, the higher the reproducibility rate.

[0143] Figure 13 This is a graph representing the reproducibility rate R of the chemical composition content of substitute ingredients for a baseline ingredient. Furthermore, in Figure 13 The report also includes sensory evaluations.

[0144] The reproducibility rate R of the gluten content is calculated by multiplying the amount of wheat flour (100g) in the reference ingredient by the gluten content (6%) in the wheat flour, and using the amount of barley flour (63g) in the substitute ingredient by the gluten content (3%) in the barley flour as the numerator. The reproducibility rate R of the gluten content is R = (63 × 0.03) / (100 × 0.06) = 0.315.

[0145] The reproducibility rate R of gliadin content is calculated by multiplying the amount of wheat flour (100g) in the reference ingredient by the gliadin content (7%) in the wheat flour, and setting the denominator as the value obtained by multiplying the amount of rye flour (37g) in the substitute ingredient by the gliadin content (6%) in the rye flour, and setting the numerator as the value obtained by multiplying the amount of rye flour (37g) in the substitute ingredient by the gliadin content (6%). The reproducibility rate R of gliadin content is R = (37 × 0.06) / (100 × 0.07) = 0.317.

[0146] Furthermore, the reproducibility rate R of the "starch" content is calculated by multiplying the amount of "wheat flour" (100g) in the reference ingredient by the "starch" content (72%) in the wheat flour, and summing the amounts of "barley flour" (63g) in the substitute ingredient by the "starch" content (71%) in the barley flour and "rye flour" (37g) in the substitute ingredient by the "starch" content (60%) in the rye flour, and setting the numerator as the sum. The reproducibility rate R of the "starch" content is then calculated as R = ((63 × 0.71) + (37 × 0.60)) / (100 × 0.72) = 0.929. In the case of "starch," since there are two substitute ingredients with the same chemical composition, the reproducibility rate R is the sum of the two reproducibility rates R obtained for each of the two substitute ingredients.

[0147] As described above, server 50 calculates the recurrence rate R, extracts alternative ingredients with high recurrence rate R from a variety of candidate alternative ingredients, and generates alternative recipe information I2 containing the extracted alternative ingredients. Server 50 sends the generated alternative recipe information I2 to terminal device 10.

[0148] Figure 14 This is an example of a graph that shows the reproducibility rate R of the content of substitute ingredients and chemical components for a reference ingredient.

[0149] exist Figure 14 In (a), the ingredients for the baseline recipe and the ingredients for the alternative recipes are shown. Additionally, in Figure 14 In (a), the shape and quantity of the ingredients are also shown.

[0150] exist Figure 14 In (b), the chemical components contained in the food are shown, along with the corresponding sensory evaluations and the reproducibility R of the chemical component content. According to Figure 14 (b) can be numerically represented by the degree of reproducibility of the chemical components in alternative recipes for a baseline recipe. Furthermore, the reproducibility rate R can also be included in the alternative recipe information I2.

[0151] As described above, the information providing system 1 of this embodiment includes a server 50 for exporting alternative ingredients used as substitutes for a reference ingredient. The server 50 obtains information representing the reference ingredient and its quantity, and based on the quantity of the reference ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in each of the various reference ingredients, exports at least one alternative ingredient from the various reference ingredients, and exports information representing the quantity of the at least one alternative ingredient.

[0152] By deriving alternative ingredients and their quantities based on the amount of a benchmark ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the benchmark ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in various reference ingredients, it is possible to produce the food or a food equivalent to the food even without using some of the ingredients required to make the food.

[0153] Furthermore, while the above description illustrates an example where database 90 stores data corresponding to the change request information Cr, there are also cases where database 90 does not store data corresponding to the change request information Cr. Therefore, regarding the above, we will use the example of a food ingredient database 92 not storing information related to "rice oil" or "oleic acid" to illustrate this point.

[0154] Figure 15 This is an example of food information that is not saved in database 90.

[0155] In this example, it is shown that database 90 does not contain information related to "oleic acid," a chemical component contained in "rice oil," and the sensory evaluation of "fatty aroma and sweetness" corresponding to "oleic acid."

[0156] When no alternative ingredients with the same chemical composition are available, the information providing system 1 extracts other alternative ingredients based on sensory evaluations corresponding to the chemical composition and the morphology of the ingredients.

[0157] Figure 16 This is an example of other alternative ingredients.

[0158] First, server 50 determines the chemical component corresponding to the sensory evaluation of "fatty aroma and sweetness" as the same as "oleic acid," and sends this chemical component to database 90. Database 90 extracts ingredients with the same chemical component and the same form as "rice oil" from reference ingredient information ir as candidate substitute ingredients. In this example, the ingredient is shown to be in the form of "liquid," and the chemical component with the sensory evaluation of "fatty aroma and sweetness" is "linoleic acid." The ingredient that satisfies these properties is "corn oil." Database 90 sends the extracted candidate substitute ingredients to server 50.

[0159] Thus, information providing system 1 can also derive alternative ingredient information i2 by deriving reference ingredients from a variety of reference ingredients that include sensory evaluations associated with a benchmark ingredient as at least one alternative ingredient. Furthermore, information providing system 1 can also derive at least one alternative ingredient from a variety of reference ingredients by including all sensory evaluations from one or more predetermined sensory evaluations associated with a benchmark ingredient.

[0160] Figure 17This is an example of an alternative recipe information I2 that uses other substitute ingredients.

[0161] exist Figure 17 The example shown illustrates how corn oil can be used as a substitute for rice oil in "fresh pasta." Server 50 determines the amount of the substituted ingredient in a way that makes the chemical composition of the original ingredient as similar as possible to that of the substituted ingredient. In this example, server 50 determines the amount of corn oil in a way that makes the content of oleic acid in the original rice oil the same as the content of linoleic acid in the substituted corn oil.

[0162] Figure 18 It is a diagram that shows information related to other alternative ingredients.

[0163] exist Figure 18 The text includes information related to other substitute ingredients, showing the reproducibility R of the chemical composition, sensory evaluation, and chemical content of the original ingredient, as well as the reproducibility R of the chemical composition and chemical content of the substituted ingredient. In this example, the chemical composition of the original ingredient is shown as "oleic acid," and the sensory evaluation is "fatty aroma and sweetness," with a reproducibility R of 0%. The chemical composition of the substituted ingredient is shown as "linoleic acid," with a reproducibility R of 0.982. This clarifies the degree of reproducibility of the chemical composition and chemical content of the substitute ingredient.

[0164] Furthermore, while examples of finding alternative ingredients have been shown above, it is also possible that no alternative ingredients can be found. Therefore, regarding the above, we will cite examples where the food database 92 does not contain information related to the ingredient "rice oil," the chemical component "oleic acid," the sensory evaluation of "fatty aroma and sweetness," and the form of the ingredient "liquid" as an example.

[0165] Figure 19 This is an example of a scene shown when there are no alternative ingredients.

[0166] If information providing system 1 fails to extract other alternative ingredients, it outputs a message indicating that no alternative ingredients were found. Figure 19 The data shows that the food ingredient database 92 does not contain any information related to "rice oil" or "corn oil," and no sensory evaluation of "fatty aroma and sweetness" or any ingredient in "liquid" form was found. In the absence of substitute ingredients, the reproducibility rate R of the chemical component content is represented by 0. Therefore, it is clear that no substitute ingredients were found.

[0167] [Actions of the information provision system]

[0168] The operation of the information providing system 1 involved in the implementation method will be described.

[0169] Figure 20 This is a diagram showing the action flow of information providing system 1.

[0170] like Figure 20 As shown, terminal device 10 obtains food information from the user (step S10). The food information is information related to the food that will be the subject of the recipe change. Terminal device 10 outputs the obtained food information to server 50.

[0171] Server 50 obtains food information output from terminal device 10 and outputs the food information to database 90.

[0172] Database 90 generates baseline recipe information I1 based on food information (step S20).

[0173] The baseline recipe information I1 is information related to the original recipe of the food to be modified. The baseline recipe information I1 includes information about the food to be modified and the original ingredients required to prepare that food, i.e., the baseline ingredients. The baseline ingredient information i1, related to the baseline ingredients, includes information about the ingredients used as baseline ingredients, their form, quantity, sensory evaluation, and chemical composition. Additionally, the baseline ingredient information i1 also includes information regarding whether each ingredient can be modified during the modification process.

[0174] Database 90 outputs the baseline recipe information I1 to server 50. Server 50 obtains the baseline recipe information I1 output from database 90 and outputs the baseline recipe information I1 to terminal device 10.

[0175] Terminal device 10 displays the baseline recipe information I1 output from server 50 (step S30). For example, terminal device 10 displays information related to various ingredients shown as the baseline recipe, whether changes can be made to these ingredients, and sensory evaluations associated with these ingredients.

[0176] The terminal device 10, displaying the baseline recipe information I1, obtains a change request for the baseline recipe from the user (step S40). For example, the terminal device 10 obtains information from the user regarding various ingredients shown in the baseline recipe, as well as information about the ingredients to be changed and the sensory evaluations to be maintained without change. The terminal device 10 outputs the change request information Cr input by the user to the server 50.

[0177] Server 50 obtains change request information Cr output from terminal device 10, and creates chemical composition list Lc based on change request information Cr (step S50).

[0178] The chemical composition list Lc contains information related to the sensory evaluation, the ingredient to be changed, and the morphology of the ingredient, as indicated in the change request information Cr. Additionally, the chemical composition list Lc contains information related to one or more predetermined chemical components. Server 50 creates the chemical composition list Lc based on the ingredient to be changed, the sensory evaluation to be maintained, and the baseline recipe information I1, as indicated in the change request information Cr. For example, server 50 lists the chemical components in a manner consistent with the chemical components contained in the ingredient to be changed and the chemical components related to the sensory evaluation to be maintained. Server 50 outputs the generated chemical composition list Lc to database 90.

[0179] Database 90 generates a candidate first alternative ingredient from the ingredient database 92 as a substitute for the ingredient to be changed (step S60). Specifically, database 90 extracts ingredients containing chemical components listed in the chemical component list Lc from the reference ingredient information ir of the ingredient database 92 as candidates for the first alternative ingredient. Figure 11 The candidate alternative ingredients shown are an example of the first candidate alternative ingredients. There can be one or more candidates for the first alternative ingredients. Database 90 outputs the extracted candidates for the first alternative ingredients to server 50.

[0180] Server 50 determines whether all the predetermined chemical components contained in the benchmark ingredient are included in the candidate first alternative ingredient (step S70).

[0181] If all chemical components are included in the candidate of the first alternative ingredient (S70: Yes), the server 50 extracts the alternative ingredient containing all chemical components and generates alternative recipe information I2 containing the alternative ingredient (step S80).

[0182] Alternative recipe information I2 represents information about alternative recipes for the food to which a recipe change is being considered. Alternative recipe information I2 includes information about the food to which the recipe change is being considered and the alternative ingredients required to prepare that food. Information related to alternative ingredients, namely alternative ingredient information i2, includes information about the ingredients used as alternative ingredients, the form of the alternative ingredients, the quantity of the alternative ingredients, the sensory evaluation of the alternative ingredients, and the chemical composition of the alternative ingredients.

[0183] Additionally, the alternative recipe information I2 may also include a reproducibility rate R, which indicates the degree of reproducibility of the chemical components of the alternative ingredients relative to the reference ingredients. Server 50 outputs the alternative recipe information I2 to terminal device 10.

[0184] Terminal device 10 displays alternative recipe information I2 output from server 50 (step S90). Thus, terminal device 10 prompts the user with information related to alternative ingredients used as the base ingredient.

[0185] On the other hand, if the first candidate alternative ingredient does not contain all chemical components (S70: No), the server 50 generates a re-extraction project as an item for further extraction of alternative ingredients (step S100). The re-extraction project contains sensory evaluations related to chemical components not present in the first candidate alternative ingredient, as well as information related to the morphology of the ingredient. The server 50 outputs the re-extraction project to the database 90.

[0186] Based on the re-extraction items output from server 50, database 90 generates candidates for the second alternative ingredient. Specifically, database 90 extracts reference ingredients that meet the sensory evaluation and morphology requirements of the re-extraction items as alternative ingredients, generating candidates for the second alternative ingredient (step S110). Figure 16 The other alternative ingredients shown are examples of the second alternative ingredients. Database 90 outputs the second alternative ingredients to server 50.

[0187] Server 50 determines whether all the predetermined chemical components contained in the baseline ingredient are included in the candidate second alternative ingredient (step S120).

[0188] If all chemical components are included in the candidate second alternative ingredient (S120: Yes), server 50 extracts the alternative ingredient containing all chemical components and generates alternative recipe information I2 containing the alternative ingredient (step S130). The alternative recipe information I2 contains information related to the chemical components of the alternative ingredient and the reproducibility R of the content of the chemical components.

[0189] Terminal device 10 displays alternative recipe information I2 output from server 50 (step S140). Thus, terminal device 10 prompts the user with information related to alternative ingredients used as the base ingredient.

[0190] On the other hand, if the candidate second alternative ingredient does not contain all the chemical components (S120: No), the server 50 generates non-substitutable information indicating that no alternative ingredient was found (S150). The non-substitutable information includes information related to the non-substitutable chemical components and sensory evaluation. The server 50 outputs the non-substitutable information to the terminal device 10.

[0191] Terminal device 10 displays the non-substitutable information output from server 50 (step S160). As a result, terminal device 10 prompts the user with information such as no substitute ingredient was found to replace the base ingredient.

[0192] Thus, the information provision method involved in this embodiment includes: a step of obtaining reference ingredient information i1 representing a reference ingredient and the amount of the reference ingredient; a step of deriving alternative ingredient information i2 representing at least one alternative ingredient used as a substitute for the reference ingredient and the amount of the at least one alternative ingredient from the multiple reference ingredients based on the amount of the reference ingredient, the content of the chemical components contained in the reference ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in each of the multiple reference ingredients; and a step of outputting the alternative ingredient information i2.

[0193] By deriving alternative ingredients and their quantities based on the amount of a benchmark ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the benchmark ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in various reference ingredients, it is possible to produce the food or a food equivalent to the food even without using some of the ingredients required to make the food.

[0194] [Variations on the implementation method]

[0195] Reference Figures 21-24 The following describes a variation of the information providing system. In this variation, an example is given of a user selecting a substitute ingredient from a list of alternative ingredients.

[0196] Figure 21 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of an information providing system 1, which is a variation of the implementation method.

[0197] The modified information providing system 1 also includes a terminal device 10, a server 50, and a database 90. In this modified example, based on the chemical composition list Lc, the database 90 sends a variety of candidate alternative ingredients to the server 50, and the server 50 sends a list of alternative ingredients containing the candidate alternative ingredients to the terminal device 10. The terminal device 10 accepts input to select an alternative ingredient from the list and sends it to the server 50. The server 50 generates alternative recipe information I2 based on the information of the selected alternative ingredient and sends it to the terminal device 10.

[0198] The following will describe the operation flow of the modified information providing system 1 and provide a detailed explanation of the structure of the information providing system 1.

[0199] Figure 22 This is a diagram illustrating the operation flow of an information providing system involved in a variation of the implementation method.

[0200] Figure 22Steps S10 to S50 shown are consistent with the implementation method. Figure 20 They are the same. For example... Figure 22 As shown, database 90 generates a variety of candidate alternative ingredients based on chemical composition list Lc (step S60A) and outputs them to server 50.

[0201] Server 50 generates a list of candidate alternative ingredients containing a variety of alternative ingredients (step S210).

[0202] Figure 23 This is an example of a diagram representing a list of candidate alternative ingredients that includes multiple alternative ingredients.

[0203] The list of alternative ingredients includes a variety of substitute ingredients. These substitute ingredients may include, for example, ingredients with the same chemical composition as the original ingredient, as well as ingredients with the same sensory evaluation and the same form as the original ingredient. Figure 23 In this example, as various alternative ingredients, ingredients related to "barley flour, rye flour, rice flour, rice oil, and corn oil" are shown. Unlike the embodiment where more than one alternative ingredient is derived through computation, this example shows multiple ingredients in a repeated state before the derivation. For example, as alternatives to "olive oil," "rice oil" and "corn oil" are shown. The server 50 outputs a list of candidate alternative ingredients containing multiple alternative ingredients to the terminal device 10.

[0204] Terminal device 10 obtains a variety of alternative ingredients candidates output from server 50 and displays an alternative ingredient list containing the various alternative ingredients (step S220).

[0205] Terminal device 10 determines whether to make changes to multiple alternative ingredients in the alternative ingredient list. Specifically, terminal device 10 determines whether change input has been accepted for multiple alternative ingredients (step S230).

[0206] If no change input is accepted (S230: No), the process ends. On the other hand, if a change input is accepted (S230: Yes), the terminal device 10 displays a screen for selecting alternative ingredients (step S240).

[0207] Figure 24 This is an example of a screen used to select an alternative ingredient from a list of alternative ingredients.

[0208] exist Figure 24 The terminal device 10 shown can select the user's desired alternative ingredients from the list of alternative ingredients.

[0209] Terminal device 10 accepts input indicating the selection of alternative ingredients (step S250). In this example, "barley flour, rye flour, and rice oil" are the user's desired alternative ingredients. Terminal device 10 outputs alternative ingredient selection information, including information about the selected alternative ingredients, to server 50.

[0210] Server 50 generates alternative recipe information I2 including the selected alternative ingredients (step S260) and outputs the alternative recipe information I2 to terminal device 10. Terminal device 10 displays the alternative recipe information I2 output from server 50 (step S270). Based on this, alternative ingredients that meet the user's wishes can be selected.

[0211] (Summarize)

[0212] In the information provision method disclosed herein, baseline recipe information I1 is generated based on information about the ingredients to be changed in the recipe. The baseline recipe information I1 is generated from recipe information and reference ingredient information ir stored in database 90, based on recipe information and reference ingredient information related to the ingredients to be changed in the recipe. Next, information related to the ingredients to be changed or sensory evaluations for the baseline recipe is received from the user, and chemical components common to the ingredients to be changed and the sensory evaluations are listed. Then, candidates of multiple alternative ingredients having the aforementioned chemical components are extracted from the reference ingredient information ir. Then, one or more alternative ingredients are selected from the multiple alternative ingredients to generate alternative recipe information. For example, when selecting alternative ingredients, alternative ingredients with a high reproducibility R of the content of chemical components can be selected. Thus, information can be provided that the food or a food equivalent to the food can be made even without using some of the ingredients required to make the food.

[0213] (Other methods)

[0214] The information provision methods involved in the embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, but this disclosure is not limited to each embodiment. As long as it does not depart from the spirit of this disclosure, various modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art, and the combination of constituent elements from different embodiments to construct the embodiment, can also be included within the scope of one or more technical solutions of this disclosure.

[0215] In the above embodiments, server 50 and database 90 are separate components, but server 50 and database 90 can also be the same single component, with server 50 having the same functions as database 90.

[0216] In the above embodiments, an example is shown where the information providing system 1 is composed of a terminal device 10, a server 50, and a database 90, but it is not limited thereto. For example, if the terminal device 10 has the same functions as the server 50, the information providing system 1 may also be composed of the terminal device 10 and the database 90. In this case, the functions of the first information acquisition unit 51, the second information acquisition unit 52, and the information processing unit 55 may also be provided in the terminal device 10.

[0217] In the above embodiments, it is shown that in Figure 9 The example shown is of a screen displaying sensory evaluations of ingredients, but is not limited to this. For example, terminal device 10 may also display the chemical composition of the ingredient to be changed, and display a screen for selecting the chemical composition to be maintained. In this case, the chemical composition may also be displayed in association with the sensory evaluation.

[0218] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, each component can also be implemented by executing a software program suitable for that component. Each component can also be implemented by reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory using a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor.

[0219] Furthermore, each component can be implemented in hardware. Each component can also be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits can either form a single circuit as a whole or be independent circuits. In addition, these circuits can be either general-purpose circuits or special-purpose circuits.

[0220] Furthermore, the general or specific technical solutions of this disclosure can also be implemented by systems, apparatuses, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, or recording media such as computer-readable CD-ROMs. Alternatively, they can be implemented by any combination of systems, apparatuses, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, and recording media.

[0221] For example, this disclosure can be implemented as a data processing unit of the above-described embodiments, or as an information processing system of the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, this disclosure can also be implemented as an information processing method executed by a computer such as the information processing system of the above-described embodiments. This disclosure can be implemented as a program for causing a computer to execute such an information processing method, or as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0222] Industrial availability

[0223] The information provision method disclosed herein can be widely used in services that provide cooking information.

[0224] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0225] 1 Information providing system; 10 Terminal device; 11 Input unit; 12 Output unit; 15 Control unit; 50 Server; 51 First information acquisition unit; 52 Second information acquisition unit; 55 Information processing unit; 90 Database; 91 Recipe database; 92 Ingredient database; Cr Change request information; Cq Candidate information; I1 Baseline recipe information; I2 Alternative recipe information; i1 Baseline ingredient information; i2 Alternative ingredient information; ir Reference ingredient information; Lc Chemical composition list; R Content recurrence rate.

Claims

1. An information provision method, which is an information provision method executed by a computer, comprising: The step of obtaining reference ingredient information representing the reference ingredient and the quantity of the reference ingredient; Based on the amount of the reference ingredient, the content of the chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of the chemical components contained in each of the multiple reference ingredients, the step of deriving information on at least one alternative ingredient used as a substitute for the reference ingredient and the amount of the at least one alternative ingredient from the multiple reference ingredients. and The step of outputting the information of the alternative ingredients.

2. The information providing method according to claim 1, In the step of exporting the alternative ingredient information A reference ingredient containing the chemical components present in the benchmark ingredient is selected from the plurality of reference ingredients as the at least one alternative ingredient. The amount of the at least one alternative ingredient is derived based on the amount of the reference ingredient, the content of the chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of the chemical components contained in the at least one alternative ingredient.

3. The information providing method according to claim 1, The reference ingredient contains one or more predetermined chemical components. In the step of exporting the alternative ingredient information The at least one alternative ingredient is derived from the plurality of reference ingredients in a manner that includes all of the predetermined chemical components contained in the reference ingredient. The amount of the at least one alternative ingredient is derived based on the amount of the reference ingredient, the content of all chemical components in the one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of all chemical components in the one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the at least one alternative ingredient.

4. The information providing method according to claim 3, The at least one alternative ingredient contains chemical components that are different from the one or more predetermined chemical components contained in the reference ingredient.

5. The information providing method according to claim 1, The baseline ingredient information is included in the baseline recipe information representing the food prepared using the baseline ingredients. Information indicating the content of each of the various reference ingredients' chemical components is included in the reference ingredient information. The alternative ingredient information includes alternative recipe information representing alternative recipes for the food prepared using at least one of the alternative ingredients. In the step of exporting the alternative ingredient information, the alternative recipe information is exported based on the baseline recipe information and the reference ingredient information.

6. The information providing method according to claim 5, The benchmark ingredient information also includes information representing sensory evaluations associated with the benchmark ingredient. The reference ingredient information also includes information representing sensory evaluations associated with each of the various reference ingredients. The alternative ingredient information also includes information representing sensory evaluations associated with the alternative ingredient. In the step of exporting the alternative ingredient information, a reference ingredient that includes a sensory evaluation associated with the benchmark ingredient is exported as at least one alternative ingredient from among the multiple reference ingredients, and the alternative ingredient information is exported.

7. The information providing method according to claim 6, The sensory evaluation associated with the benchmark ingredient has one or more predetermined sensory evaluations associated with the benchmark ingredient. In the step of deriving the alternative ingredient information, the at least one alternative ingredient is derived from the plurality of reference ingredients in a manner that includes all sensory evaluations in the more than one predetermined sensory evaluations associated with the benchmark ingredient.

8. The information provision method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, In the step of deriving the alternative ingredient information, a recurrence rate representing the degree of reproducibility of the benchmark ingredient is derived, and the at least one alternative ingredient is derived based on the recurrence rate.

9. The information providing method according to claim 8, The reproducibility rate is the ratio of a value obtained based on the amount of the reference ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in the reference ingredient to a value obtained based on the amount of the substitute ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in the substitute ingredient.

10. The information providing method according to claim 8, The alternative ingredients include a variety of alternative ingredients. The reproducibility rate is the ratio of a value obtained based on the amount of the reference ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in the reference ingredient to a value obtained by summing the values ​​obtained for each of the various alternative ingredients based on the amount of the alternative ingredient and the content of the chemical components contained in the alternative ingredient.

11. The information providing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, In the step of exporting the alternative ingredient information From the multiple reference ingredients, a variety of candidate alternative ingredients are extracted as substitutes for the benchmark ingredients. The option to select at least one alternative ingredient from the pool of candidate alternative ingredients as a substitute for the baseline ingredient is accepted. Based on the acceptance of the selected at least one alternative ingredient, information representing the alternative ingredient and its quantity is derived.

12. An information providing system, A server capable of exporting alternative ingredients used as a base ingredient. The server obtains information representing the reference ingredient and its quantity. Based on the quantity of the reference ingredient, the content of chemical components contained in the reference ingredient, and the content of chemical components contained in various reference ingredients, it derives at least one alternative ingredient from the various reference ingredients and derives information representing the quantity of the at least one alternative ingredient.

13. A program that causes a computer to perform the information provision method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

14. A cooking apparatus using the procedure of claim 13.

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