Information provision system

Abstract

To enhance consumer confidence in food products and allow consumers to comfortably choose food products.SOLUTION: When a consumer terminal 13 reads identification information 4 of a food product A, a first cooked product is selected using cooked product information selection means 16 and specific cooked product information selected by information selection means 19 is output using information output means 20. A second food product used in the selected cooked product selected by a consumer is then selected using food product information selection means 21 and is output using information output means 20. Information on the selected food product selected by the consumer is then output.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing system. More specifically, it relates to an information providing system that enables consumers to make food choices with confidence.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, the safety of products centered on food has attracted the attention of consumers. When consumers select products, they have come to show interest even in aspects such as what the products themselves and their raw materials are.

[0003] Therefore, product providers provide products by attaching information such as the ingredients, origin, and manufacturing date of the products and their raw materials to labels attached to the product packaging or recording them on IC tags.

[0004] However, simply attaching information described or recorded to products is easy to tamper with or forge, and there is also the fact that information tampering and forgery are actually occurring. As a result, the credibility for consumers is low, and it has been difficult for consumers to select products with confidence.

[0005] Therefore, the inventor of the present invention has proposed a technique of providing food by attaching a raw material powder sample obtained by powdering the raw materials of the food instead of simply attaching information described or recorded to the food (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Incidentally, the quality of various products including food is strongly influenced by various factors in the process until the product is provided to consumers.

[0008] Therefore, although the raw material powder sample of food is a factor from which information about the quality of food can be obtained, it is only one factor. Just the technology described in Patent Document 1 of attaching the raw material powder sample to food and providing the food may not be sufficient to achieve the purpose of enabling consumers to safely select food.

[0009] The present invention has been devised in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an information providing system that can further sufficiently enable consumers to safely select food.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] To achieve the above object, the information providing system of the present invention includes food information recording means for recording food information which is information on a predetermined food and cooking product information which is information on a cooked product of the food, and on the consumer's terminal, on condition that identification information displayed on a first food which is one of the foods is read, cooking product information output means for outputting first cooking product information which is the cooking product information of the first food recorded in the food information recording means to allow the consumer to make a selection, identifying a second food which is a food (excluding the first food) used for the cooked product selected by the consumer from among the first cooking product information output by the cooking product information output means in the food information recorded in the food information recording means, and food information output means for outputting information on the second food to allow the consumer to make a selection, and information output means for outputting information on a selected food which is the food selected by the consumer from among the information on the second food output by the food information output means to the consumer's terminal.

[0011] In addition, the information providing system of the present invention includes: food information recording means for recording food information which is information on a predetermined food; cooking product information output means for searching for first cooking product information which is information on a cooking product of a first food which is one of the foods, on the condition that identification information displayed on the first food is read by a consumer's terminal, and outputting the first cooking product information for the consumer to select; food information output means for identifying a second food which is a food (excluding the first food) to be used for the cooking product selected by the consumer from among the first cooking product information output by the cooking product information output means from the food information recorded by the food information recording means, and outputting information on the second food for the consumer to select; and information output means for outputting information on a selected food which is the food selected by the consumer from among the information on the second food output by the food information output means to the consumer's terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, the information providing system of the present invention includes: food information recording means for recording food information which is information on a predetermined food; cooking product information output means for generating first cooking product information which is information on a cooking product of a first food which is one of the foods, on the condition that identification information displayed on the first food is read by a consumer's terminal, and outputting the first cooking product information for the consumer to select; food information output means for identifying a second food which is a food (excluding the first food) to be used for the cooking product selected by the consumer from among the first cooking product information output by the cooking product information output means from the food information recorded by the food information recording means, and outputting information on the second food for the consumer to select; and information output means for outputting information on a selected food which is the food selected by the consumer from among the information on the second food output by the food information output means to the consumer's terminal.

[0013] Here, by the "cooking product information output means" that outputs the first cooking product information, the consumer can confirm the first cooking product information (information on the cooking product of the food for which the consumer has read the identification information on their own terminal), and can select the cooking product desired by the consumer.

[0014] In addition, by the "cooking ingredient information output means" outputting the first cooking ingredient information on the condition that it has read the identification information displayed on the first food, even if the consumer does not identify the "target food (the first food)", the "target food (the first food)" can be identified based on the information transmitted from the consumer's terminal. That is, just by the consumer reading the identification information, the "target food (the first food)" can be identified.

[0015] Furthermore, by the "food information output means" that outputs the information of the second food, the consumer can check the information of the second food (the information of the food used for the cooking ingredient selected by the consumer himself / herself), and the consumer can select the food he / she desires.

[0016] Also, by the "information output means" that outputs the information of the selected food, the information of the selected food (the information of the food selected by the consumer himself / herself) can be provided to the consumer.

[0017] Here, when recording "cooking ingredient information" in the food information recording means, the cooking ingredient information can be recorded in the information providing system, and the cooking ingredient information (the first cooking ingredient information) can be output from the cooking ingredient information output means without exchanging the cooking ingredient information with the outside (outside the information providing system).

[0018] Also, when the cooking ingredient information output means outputs the "searched first cooking ingredient information", even if the cooking ingredient information is not recorded in the information providing system, the cooking ingredient information (the first cooking ingredient information) can be output from the cooking ingredient information output means by exchanging the cooking ingredient information with the outside (outside the information providing system).

[0019] Here, when searching for the cooking ingredient information recorded in an external information recording means separate from the information providing system (for example, when searching for a recording means that records only the cooking ingredient information), since the search target is limited, a quick search can be realized and the cooking ingredient information can be searched smoothly.

[0020] Also, when searching for cooking product information published on the Internet, it is possible to conduct a search among a vast amount of information including the latest cooking product information, and it can be expected to find cooking product information that meets the needs of consumers.

[0021] Furthermore, when searching for cooking product information recorded in the Internet information recording means that records information published on the Internet, only the information recorded in the Internet information recording means is targeted for search. Compared with the case of targeting cooking product information published on the Internet (not limited to the information recorded in the Internet information recording means, but including information published on the Internet), although it is inferior in terms of the amount of information to be searched, through creating an index for search, search results can be obtained more quickly.

[0022] Also, when the cooking product information output means outputs the "generated first cooking product information", even if there is no cooking product information recorded within the information providing system and externally (outside the information providing system), cooking product information can be generated, and the cooking product information (first cooking product information) can be output from the cooking product information output means.

[0023] Also, when the reference information generating means generates reference information (reference information of cooking product information) based on the selection criteria information, it is possible to obtain the information to be referred to when selecting the "information to be output (first cooking product information)" from among the "first cooking product information recorded in the food information recording means (among the cooking product information recorded in the food information recording means, the cooking product information of the first food)".

[0024] Also, when the information selecting means selects the "information to be output (first cooking product information)" based on the reference information (the reference information generated by the reference information generating means or the reference information transmitted from the consumer's terminal), even if the consumer does not select specific information, it becomes possible to select the "information to be output (first cooking product information)" based on the information transmitted by the consumer (the "selection criteria information" and the "reference information"). Note that the "information to be output (first cooking ingredient information)" selected by the information selection means may be singular or plural.

[0025] Also, when the consumer transmits selection criterion information as the "criterion for information to be selected", the reference information generated based on the selection criterion information (criterion for information to be selected) can be regarded as "exemplary information as the information to be output (that is, the information the consumer wants to select)". Therefore, when transmitting selection criterion information as the "criterion for information to be selected", the "first cooking ingredient information" with a high similarity to the reference information (exemplary information) will be selected.

[0026] Similarly, when the consumer transmits reference information as the "reference information for information to be selected", the "first cooking ingredient information" with a high similarity to the reference information (exemplary information) will also be selected.

[0027] On the other hand, when the consumer transmits selection criterion information as the "criterion for information not to be selected", the reference information generated based on the selection criterion information (criterion for information not to be selected) can be regarded as "anti-teacher information of the information to be output (that is, the information the consumer does not want to select)". Therefore, when transmitting selection criterion information as the "criterion for information not to be selected", the "first cooking ingredient information" with a low similarity to the reference information (anti-teacher information) will be selected.

[0028] Similarly, when the consumer transmits reference information as the "reference information for information not to be selected", the "first cooking ingredient information" with a low similarity to the reference information (anti-teacher information) will also be selected.

[0029] Note that compared with the case of transmitting the "criterion for information not to be selected" as the selection criterion information, when transmitting the "criterion for information to be selected" as the selection criterion information, the consumer's desired information can be more directly specified. Therefore, considering the point of fully reflecting the consumer's intention, it is more preferable to transmit the "criterion for information to be selected" as the selection criterion information.

[0030] Similarly, considering the point of more directly identifying the information that consumers want to select and fully reflecting the consumers' thoughts, it is preferable to transmit "reference information of the information to be selected" as reference information.

[0031] By the way, the "food" here includes both primary products and secondary products. That is, it is intended to include not only food and beverages (fresh food, animal food, plant food, processed food, frozen food, favorite food, seasoning materials, health food, supplements, beverages, processing materials, etc.) for the purpose of nutrient intake and preference, but also pharmaceuticals and quasi-drugs. For example, traditional Chinese medicine is also included. Also, it is intended to include those for fish and animals such as feed, aquaculture feed, dog food, etc.

[0032] Here, the "food (primary product)" refers to fresh food, animal food, and plant food before processing. For example, vegetables such as daikon radish and cabbage, or raw meat such as chicken and beef themselves are applicable. Also, for example, fruits, beans, shellfish, and fish are also applicable.

[0033] Also, the "food (secondary product)" here refers to products obtained by processing unprocessed fresh food, unprocessed animal food, and unprocessed plant food. For example, steamed buns, pickles, stir-fried vegetables, steaks, hamburgers, ramen, boxed lunches, bread, milk, cheese, beer, wine, Japanese sake, whiskey, frozen food, canned goods, tea, juice, coffee, soft drinks, etc. in PET bottles are applicable.

[0034] Furthermore, the "secondary products" here of course include secondary products processed from primary products, and also include secondary products processed from secondary products. For example, it also includes omelets manufactured by purchasing seasoned eggs as raw materials and baking them.

Advantages of the Invention

[0035] In the information providing system of the present invention, consumers can more confidently select foods, and the reliability of foods can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0036]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described. The description will be made in the following order. 1. First Embodiment 2. Second Embodiment 3. Third Embodiment

[0038] <1. First Embodiment> [Description of Food] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a food for which information is registered in a food information providing system, which is an example of an information providing system to which the present invention is applied. The food product A shown here is noodles for ramen. Specifically, the food product A is a dried noodle 1 for instant ramen packaged with a packaging film 2, and identification information 4 (for example, a two-dimensional barcode or the like) is displayed on the packaging film 2.

[0039] In addition, food product A consists only of dry noodles 1 and does not contain "soup" (the "powdered soup" included in general instant ramen is sold separately). Therefore, even if only food product A (only dry noodles 1) is purchased, ramen cannot be made, and it is necessary to separately purchase "soup".

[0040] Here, by reading identification information 4 with a consumer terminal such as a smartphone, it is possible to access the food information providing system of the present invention through the Internet.

[0041] Specifically, a consumer who intends to purchase food product A (dry noodles 1) can access the food information providing system via identification information 4 in order to obtain information on "soup" (for example, information on "soup" that can be purchased at the store selling food product A).

[0042] [Configuration of the Present Invention] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of a food information providing system, which is an example of an information providing system to which the present invention is applied.

[0043] The food information providing system 11 shown in FIG. 2 is configured to be able to communicate with a consumer terminal 13 used by consumers via the Internet 12 and exchange various information.

[0044] In addition, the food information providing system 11 includes a receiving unit 14, a food information recording means 15, a cooking ingredient information selection means 16, a selection criterion information recording means 17, a model information generating means 18, an information selection means 19, an information output means 20, and a food information selection means 21.

[0045] Note that "the cooking ingredient information selection means 16 and the information output means 20" correspond to a "cooking ingredient information output means", and "the food information selection means 21 and the information output means 20" correspond to a "food information output means".

[0046] Here, the receiving unit 14 is configured to be able to receive various information from the "consumer terminal 13" and a terminal (not shown) used by a food provider. When the receiving unit 14 receives various information, the cooking ingredient information selection means 16 and the food information selection means 21 will function. Also, the information received by the receiving unit 14 will be recorded in the food information recording means 15 and the selection criterion information recording means 17.

[0047] In addition, the food information recording means 15 records "food information 15A" which is information on various foods. Also, "cooking ingredient information 15B" which is information on the cooking ingredients of various foods (the foods recorded in the food information 15A) is recorded.

[0048] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, as the cooking ingredient information 15B, "ramen name" and "soup name" are recorded. In FIG. 3, for the information of the cooking ingredient "ramen (instant ramen)", management numbers from 1 to 13 are attached. For management numbers 1 to 3, miso ramen information is recorded, for management numbers 4 to 5, soy sauce ramen information is recorded, for management numbers 6 to 7, salt ramen information is recorded, for management numbers 8 to 11, tonkotsu ramen information is recorded, and for management numbers 12 to 13, tsukemen information is recorded.

[0049] Note that examples of the food information 15A include "food description information", "food sales floor information", "food package image information", "cooking method information using the food", "food price information", and the like. For example, taking the case of the food "powdered soup (tonkotsu thick flavor)" with management number 8 in FIG. 3 as an example, the product description of "powdered soup (tonkotsu thick flavor)", the sales floor information of "powdered soup (tonkotsu thick flavor)", the cooking method of tonkotsu ramen using "powdered soup (tonkotsu thick flavor)", and the price information of "powdered soup (tonkotsu thick flavor)" are recorded.

[0050] In addition, the cooking ingredient information selection means 16 selects "cooking ingredients using the first food" from among the cooking ingredient information 15B based on the "food information (the food here is referred to as the 'first food')" received by the receiving unit 14. Note that the "cooked food using the first food" is referred to as the "first cooked food", and the information selected by the cooked food information selection means 16 from among the cooked food information 15B is referred to as the "first cooked food information".

[0051] For example, when the identification information 4 of the food product A shown in FIG. 1 is read, the receiving unit 14 receives the information of "dry noodles 1", and selects "instant ramen" as the cooked food (first cooked food) using "dry noodles 1" from among the cooked food information 15B.

[0052] In addition, the selection criterion information recording means 17 records the "selection criterion information for selecting cooked food information (hereinafter simply referred to as 'selection criterion information')" transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 used by the consumer. Note that in the present embodiment, the selection criterion information recording means 17 records the "criterion of the cooked food information that the consumer wants to select" as the selection criterion information.

[0053] In addition, the exemplary information generation means 18 generates exemplary information of the cooked food information (hereinafter simply referred to as "exemplary information"). Note that the exemplary information generation means 18 is an example of the "reference information generation means".

[0054] Here, when the selection criterion information is recorded in the selection criterion information recording means 17, the exemplary information generation means 18 inputs the "selection criterion information" into a general-purpose generative AI (generative AI) (not shown), and obtains the output result of the generative AI to generate the exemplary information. Note that when new exemplary information is generated, it will be registered (overwritten) in place of the previous exemplary information.

[0055] For example, in the selection criterion information, (1) Prioritize dishes containing soup (2) Favorite ramen is "miso", "soy sauce", "tonkotsu" When the above (1) to (2) are recorded, the content of (1) to (2) is input into the generative AI to generate the exemplary information.

[0056] Further, when the exemplary information is generated, the information selection means 19 selects the cooking ingredient information with a high similarity to the "exemplary information" from among the first cooking ingredient information selected by the cooking ingredient information selection means 16.

[0057] That is, when the "selection criterion information" is recorded, the exemplary information is generated by the exemplary information generation means 18, and then the first cooking ingredient information with a high similarity to the exemplary information is selected as the output target by the information selection means 19. Note that the information selected by the information selection means 19 from among the first cooking ingredient information is referred to as "specific cooking ingredient information".

[0058] For example, from among the first cooking ingredients "instant ramen (miso ramen, soy sauce ramen, pork bone ramen, salt ramen, tsukemen)" selected by the cooking ingredient information selection means 16, "miso ramen", "soy sauce ramen", and "pork bone ramen" are selected as the output targets.

[0059] Note that the cooking ingredient information selection means 16 selects the "specific cooking ingredient information" after checking the inventory status of the "soup", the expiration date, and the consumption date. For example, if all the soups with management numbers 1 to 3 are out of stock, "miso ramen" is not selected (excluded from the output targets). Similarly, if all the soups with management numbers 4 to 5 have expired (or passed the consumption date), "soy sauce ramen" is not selected (excluded from the output targets).

[0060] Further, the information output means 20 outputs the "specific cooking ingredient information" selected by the information selection means 19 to the consumer terminal 13.

[0061] For example, the following output is performed to prompt the consumer to select the desired cooking ingredient. (Output example) As ramen using dry noodles, the following are examples. Please select your favorite ramen. A) Miso ramen B) Soy sauce ramen C) Tonkotsu ramen

[0062] In addition, based on the "information of the prepared food selected by the consumer from the specific prepared food information received by the receiving unit 14 (the prepared food here is referred to as the'selected prepared food')", the food information selection means 21 selects the "food used for the selected prepared food" from the prepared food information 15B. Note that the "food used for the selected prepared food" is referred to as the "second food", and the information of the second food selected by the food information selection means 21 from the prepared food information 15B is referred to as the "second food information".

[0063] For example, assuming that the consumer selects "tonkotsu ramen" from the "miso ramen, soy sauce ramen, tonkotsu ramen" which are specific prepared foods output by the information output means 20 (assuming the selected prepared food is "tonkotsu ramen"), then from the prepared food information 15B, as the soup used for "tonkotsu ramen", "powdered soup (tonkotsu strong flavor)", "powdered soup (tonkotsu light flavor)", "liquid soup (tonkotsu strong flavor)", "liquid soup (tonkotsu light flavor)" are selected.

[0064] Note that the food information selection means 21 selects the "second food information" after checking the inventory status, best - before date, and expiration date of the "soup". For example, if the "powdered soup (tonkotsu light flavor)" with management number 9 is out of stock, then it does not select the "powdered soup (tonkotsu light flavor)" (excludes the "powdered soup (tonkotsu light flavor)" from the output target). Similarly, if the "liquid soup (tonkotsu strong flavor)" with management number 10 is past its best - before date (or expiration date), then it does not select the "liquid soup (tonkotsu strong flavor)" (excludes the "liquid soup (tonkotsu strong flavor)" from the output target).

[0065] In addition, the above - mentioned information output means 20 outputs the "second food information" selected by the food information selection means 21 to the consumer terminal 13.

[0066] For example, perform the following output to encourage consumers to select a second food of their choice. (Output example) As the soup for tonkotsu ramen, there are the following. Please select your preferred soup. a) Powdered soup (rich tonkotsu flavor) b) Powdered soup (light tonkotsu flavor) c) Liquid soup (rich tonkotsu flavor) d) Liquid soup (light tonkotsu flavor)

[0067] Also, the above-described information output means 20 outputs the information recorded in the food information 15A (information corresponding to the selected food) to the consumer terminal 13 based on the information of the food selected by the consumer from the "second food information" received by the receiving unit 14 (the food here is referred to as the "selected food").

[0068] For example, if the consumer selects "powdered soup (rich tonkotsu flavor)" from the "powdered soup (rich tonkotsu flavor), powdered soup (light tonkotsu flavor), liquid soup (rich tonkotsu flavor), liquid soup (light tonkotsu flavor)" which is the second food information output by the information output means 20, the information of "powdered soup (rich tonkotsu flavor)" recorded in the food information 15A is output.

[0069] Specifically, information such as (1) the product description of "powdered soup (rich tonkotsu flavor)", (2) the information of the sales location of "powdered soup (rich tonkotsu flavor)", and (3) the cooking method using "powdered soup (rich tonkotsu flavor)" is output.

[0070] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the usage method of the above-described food information providing system 11. Note that in the following, it is assumed that the consumer (new customer) 40 is collecting information on "soup" in the sales store of the food product A (dry noodles 1) of the food provider 10 when purchasing the food product A, and the explanation will be given based on this premise.

[0071] [1. Recording of various information] In an example of the usage method of the food information providing system 11 of the present invention, in order for the consumer 40 to obtain information on "soup", various types of information need to be recorded in the food information providing system 11. Therefore, an explanation will be given regarding the recording of various types of information in the food information providing system 11.

[0072] In an example of the usage method of the food information providing system 11 of the present invention, first, the food provider 10 uses a food provider terminal (not shown) to transmit "food information" and "ingredient information" to the food information providing system 11 (step indicated by reference numeral (1) in FIG. 4).

[0073] Specifically, the names of ramen using dry noodles 1 (such as "miso ramen", "soy sauce ramen", "salt ramen", "pork bone ramen", "tsukemen", etc.), the names of the soups used for each ramen (such as "powdered soup (miso)", "liquid soup (miso)", "liquid soup (miso butter)", "powdered soup (soy sauce)", "powdered soup (roasted soy sauce)", "powdered soup (salt)", "liquid soup (salt)", "powdered soup (thick pork bone flavor)", "powdered soup (light pork bone flavor)", "liquid soup (thick pork bone flavor)", "liquid soup (light pork bone flavor)", "powdered soup (pork bone dipping sauce flavor)", "powdered soup (soy sauce dipping sauce flavor)", etc.), the information of each soup (product description, sales location information, price information), and the cooking method of ramen using each soup are transmitted.

[0074] After recording various types of information as described above, it becomes possible to provide various types of information to the consumer 40.

[0075] Here, only the case of recording various types of information regarding "the soup of food product A" provided by the food provider 10 is described, but the information recorded in the food information providing system 11 is not limited to that regarding "the soup of food product A" provided by the food provider 10, and also includes that regarding "other foods provided by the food provider 10" and "foods provided by a food provider different from the food provider 10". That is, in this embodiment, an example will be given to explain the case where the consumer 40 obtains information about "the soup of food product A" provided by the food provider 10 (specifically, information about the soup of the dry noodles 1) (described later). The food information providing system 11 can also provide information about "foods other than the soup of food product A provided by the food provider 10" or "foods provided by food providers other than the food provider 10".

[0076] [2. Provision of Various Information] Regarding the food product A (dry noodles 1) provided by the food provider 10, a consumer 40 who wishes to obtain information about "soup" accesses the food information providing system 11 via the Internet 12 using the consumer terminal 13 (not shown in FIG. 4) (step indicated by reference numeral (2) in FIG. 4).

[0077] Specifically, when the identification information (identifier such as a two-dimensional barcode or a color code) 4 displayed on the food product A (dry noodles 1) is read by the consumer terminal 13, information about the food product A (dry noodles 1) is transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 to the food information providing system 11. Note that the transmitted information is received by the receiving unit 14, and the food product A (dry noodles 1) that the consumer 40 desires information about will be specified.

[0078] Subsequently, when the food product A (dry noodles 1) is specified, the cooking ingredient information selection means 16 selects instant ramen with management numbers 1 to 13 ("miso ramen", "soy sauce ramen", "salt ramen", "pork bone ramen", "tsukemen") as the first cooking ingredient information.

[0079] Also, when the identification information 4 is read by the consumer terminal 13, the "selection criterion information" pre-recorded in the consumer terminal 13 is transmitted to the food information providing system 11 and recorded in the selection criterion information recording means 17. For example, selection criterion information such as "(1) giving priority to dishes containing soup, (2) the preferred ramen being'miso','soy sauce', or 'pork bone'" is transmitted.

[0080] In addition, when "selection criterion information" is not recorded in the consumer terminal 13, when the identification information 4 is read, the user will be prompted to input the "selection criterion information".

[0081] Subsequently, when the "selection criterion information" is recorded in the selection criterion information recording means 17, the exemplary information generating means 18 generates exemplary information, and the information selecting means 19 selects specific cooking product information to be output from among the "first cooking product information". Specifically, "miso ramen" with management numbers 1 to 3, "soy sauce ramen" with management numbers 4 to 5, and "pork bone ramen" with management numbers 8 to 11 are selected.

[0082] Then, when the information selecting means 19 selects the specific cooking product information, the information output means 20 outputs the specific cooking product information to the consumer terminal 13, and options such as "miso ramen", "soy sauce ramen", and "pork bone ramen" are displayed on the consumer terminal 13 (step indicated by reference numeral (3) in FIG. 4).

[0083] Next, when the consumer 40 selects "pork bone ramen", the information (the information that the consumer has selected "pork bone ramen") is transmitted to the food information providing system 11 (step indicated by reference numeral (4) in FIG. 4). Note that the transmitted information is received by the receiving unit 14, and the "ramen information" that the consumer 40 desires is specified.

[0084] Subsequently, when the selected cooking product (pork bone ramen) is specified, the food information selecting means 21 selects the soup names ( "powdered soup (pork bone thick flavor)", "powdered soup (pork bone light flavor)", "liquid soup (pork bone thick flavor)", "liquid soup (pork bone light flavor)") with management numbers 8 to 11 as the second food information.

[0085] Then, when the food information selection means 21 selects the second food information, the information output means 20 outputs the second food information to the consumer terminal 13, and options such as "Powdered Soup (Rich Pork Bone Flavor)", "Powdered Soup (Light Pork Bone Flavor)", "Liquid Soup (Rich Pork Bone Flavor)", and "Liquid Soup (Light Pork Bone Flavor)" are displayed on the consumer terminal 13 (step indicated by reference numeral (5) in FIG. 4).

[0086] Next, when the consumer 40 selects "Powdered Soup (Rich Pork Bone Flavor)", the information (information that the consumer has selected "Powdered Soup (Rich Pork Bone Flavor)") is transmitted to the food information providing system 11 (step indicated by reference numeral (6) in FIG. 4). Note that the transmitted information is received by the receiving unit 14, and the "soup information" that the consumer desires is specified.

[0087] Then, when the selected food (powdered soup (rich pork bone flavor)) is specified, the information output means 20 outputs the information of "powdered soup (rich pork bone flavor)" recorded in the food information 15A to the consumer terminal 13 (step indicated by reference numeral (7) in FIG. 4).

[0088] After that, when the consumer 40 receives the provision of the food product A of the food provider 10 and the powdered soup (rich pork bone flavor) B (when purchasing the food product A and the powdered soup (rich pork bone flavor) B of the food provider 10), the food provider 10 provides the food product A and the powdered soup (rich pork bone flavor) B to the consumer.

[0089] [Effect] In the food information providing system 11 to which the above-described present invention is applied, by outputting information based on the information selected by the consumer 40 (information on the selected cooked food and information on the selected food), it is possible to convey information that meets the needs of the consumer, and the consumer can more safely select food.

[0090] Further, since the consumer 40 only transmits "selection criterion information" and the cooking product information having a high similarity to the "cooking product information desired by the consumer" is selected by the information selection means 19, it is possible to select the optimal (i.e., in line with the selection intention of the consumer 40) cooking product information.

[0091] [Modification Example 1] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the "selection criterion information" is transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 and the exemplary information generation means 18 generates the exemplary information is taken as an example, but the "exemplary information" may be transmitted from the consumer terminal 13. In this case, instead of the "selection criterion information recording means 17 and the exemplary information generation means 18", an "exemplary information recording means" is provided, the "exemplary information" transmitted from the consumer terminal 13 is recorded in the exemplary information recording means, and based on the "exemplary information" recorded in the exemplary information recording means, the information selection means 19 selects the first cooking product information.

[0092] [Modification Example 2] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the information selection means 19 selects the first cooking product information based on the "exemplary information" is taken as an example for explanation, but the information output means 20 may output the "first cooking product information" selected by the cooking product information selection means 16. That is, instead of selecting from the "first cooking product information" selected by the cooking product information selection means 16, all of the "first cooking product information" selected by the cooking product information selection means 16 may be output.

[0093] [Modification Example 3] In the above-described first embodiment, the "instant ramen" is taken as an example for explanation, but the object of the present invention is not limited to the "instant ramen", and other noodles such as "udon", "champon", and "soba" may be used, or cooking products other than noodles may be used.

[0094] <2. Second Embodiment> [Configuration of the Present Invention] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of a food information providing system, which is another example of an information providing system to which the present invention is applied. In the following, the description will be centered on the points different from the first embodiment, and the description of the parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0095] The food information providing system 31 shown in FIG. 5 has food information recording means 32 (in the second embodiment, it has "food information recording means 32" instead of "food information recording means 15" in the first embodiment). Note that the food information recording means 32 records "food information 32A (information recorded in 'food information 15A' in the first embodiment)".

[0096] The food information providing system 31 also has cooking ingredient information searching means 33 (in the second embodiment, it has "cooking ingredient information searching means 33" instead of "cooking ingredient information selecting means 16" in the first embodiment). Note that "cooking ingredient information searching means 33 and information output means 20" correspond to "cooking ingredient information output means".

[0097] Here, the cooking ingredient information searching means 33 is configured to be able to access cooking ingredient information recording means 34 provided separately from the food information providing system 31. The cooking ingredient information recording means 34 records information on cooking ingredients of various foods (the foods recorded in food information 32A) (cooking ingredient information recorded in 'cooking ingredient information 15B' in the first embodiment), and the cooking ingredient information searching means 33 accesses the cooking ingredient information recording means 34 to search for cooking ingredient information.

[0098] That is, when the consumer requests information on "soup" (specifically, when the identification information 4 shown in FIG. 1 is read), the cooking ingredient information searching means 33 searches for "first cooking ingredient information" to be output from the cooking ingredient information recorded in the cooking ingredient information recording means 34.

[0099] [Effect] In the food information providing system 31 to which the present invention described above is applied, since the cooking product information search means 33 can search for cooking product information, even when the cooking product information is not recorded in the food information providing system 31, the information output means 20 can output the first cooking product information to the consumer terminal 13.

[0100] <3. Third Embodiment> [Configuration of the Present Invention] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration example of a food information providing system which is still another example of an information providing system to which the present invention is applied. In the following, the description will be centered on the points different from the first embodiment, and the description of the parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0101] The food information providing system 41 shown in FIG. 6 has food information recording means 32 (similarly to the second embodiment, in the third embodiment, instead of the "food information recording means 15" of the first embodiment, it has "food information recording means 32").

[0102] Further, the food information providing system 41 has cooking product information generation means 42 (instead of the "cooking product information search means 16" of the first embodiment, in the third embodiment, it has "cooking product information generation means 42"). Note that "the cooking product information generation means 42 and the information output means 20" correspond to the "cooking product information output means".

[0103] Here, the cooking product information generation means 42 is configured to be able to access a generation AI 43 provided separately from the food information providing system 41.

[0104] For example, for the "cooking product information of dry noodles 1", using the "information on the name of dry noodles 1" and the "name of the soup recorded in the food information 32A" as input information, input them into a general-purpose generative AI (generation AI) 43, and obtain the output result of the generation AI 43 to generate the "cooking product information of dry noodles 1".

[0105] That is, when the consumer requests information on "soup" (specifically, when the identification information 4 shown in FIG. 1 is read), the cooking product information generation means 42 generates the "first cooking product information" to be output.

[0106] [Effect] In the food information providing system 41 to which the present invention described above is applied, since the cooking product information generation means 42 can generate cooking product information, even when no cooking product information is recorded inside or outside the food information providing system 41, the information output means 20 can output the first cooking product information to the consumer terminal 13.

Explanation of Signs

[0107] 1 Dried noodles 2 Packaging film 4 Identification information 10 Food provider 11 Food information providing system 12 Internet 13 Consumer terminal 14 Receiver 15 Food information recording means 16 Cooking product information selection means 17 Selection criterion information recording means 18 Model information generation means 19 Information selection means 20 Information output means 21 Food information selection means 31 Food information providing system 32 Food information recording means 33 Cooking product information search means 34 Cooking product information recording means 40 Consumer 41 Food information providing system 42 Cooking product information generation means 43 Generation AI

Claims

1. Food information recording means for recording food information which is information on a predetermined food and cooking product information which is information on a cooking product of the food; Cooking product information output means for outputting first cooking product information which is the cooking product information of the first food which is one of the foods to a consumer on condition that the consumer's terminal has read identification information displayed on the first food; Food information output means for identifying a second food which is a food (excluding the first food) to be used for the cooking product selected by the consumer from among the first cooking product information output by the cooking product information output means from among the food information recorded by the food information recording means and outputting information on the second food to allow the consumer to make a selection; An information providing system comprising information output means for outputting information on a selected food which is the food selected by the consumer from among the information on the second food output by the food information output means to the consumer's terminal. Information providing system.

2. Reference information generation means for generating reference information for the first cooking product information based on selection reference information transmitted from the consumer's terminal and for selecting the first cooking product information for which the reference information is to be generated; Information selection means for selecting the first cooking product information to be an output target from among the first cooking product information recorded by the food information recording means based on the reference information generated by the reference information generation means; The cooking product information output means outputs the first cooking product information selected by the information selection means. The information providing system according to Claim 1.

3. Information selection means for selecting the first cooking product information to be an output target from among the first cooking product information recorded by the food information recording means based on reference information transmitted from the consumer's terminal and for selecting the first cooking product information for which the reference information is to be generated; The cooking product information output means outputs the first cooking product information selected by the information selection means. The information providing system according to Claim 1.

4. Food information recording means for recording food information which is information on a predetermined food; Cooking product information output means for searching for first cooking product information which is information on a cooking product of the first food which is one of the foods on condition that the consumer's terminal has read identification information displayed on the first food and outputting the first cooking product information to allow the consumer to make a selection; Among the food information recorded by the food information recording means, a second food that is a food (excluding the first food) used for the cooked food selected by the consumer among the first cooked food information output by the cooked food information output means is specified, and a food information output means that outputs information on the second food in order to allow the consumer to make a selection. An information output means for outputting information on a selected food, which is the information on the second food output by the food information output means and is the food selected by the consumer, to the terminal of the consumer. An information providing system.

5. Reference information generation means for generating reference information on the first cooked food information based on the selection criteria information transmitted from the terminal of the consumer and for selecting the first cooked food information; Information selection means for selecting the first cooked food information to be an output target from among the retrieved first cooked food information based on the reference information generated by the reference information generation means. The cooked food information output means outputs the first cooked food information selected by the information selection means. The information providing system according to claim 4.

6. Information selection means for selecting, from among the retrieved first cooked food information, the first cooked food information to be an output target based on the reference information transmitted from the terminal of the consumer and for selecting the first cooked food information; The cooked food information output means outputs the first cooked food information selected by the information selection means. The information providing system according to claim 4.

7. Food information recording means for recording food information, which is information on a predetermined food; Cooked food information output means for generating first cooked food information, which is information on a cooked food of the first food, and outputting the first cooked food information to allow the consumer to make a selection on the condition that the identification information displayed on the first food, which is one of the foods, is read by the terminal of the consumer; Among the food information recorded by the food information recording means, a second food that is a food (excluding the first food) used for the cooked food selected by the consumer among the first cooked food information output by the cooked food information output means is specified, and a food information output means that outputs information on the second food in order to allow the consumer to make a selection. ​ An information output means for outputting information on a selected food, which is the food selected by the consumer among the information on the second food output by the food information output means, to the terminal of the consumer. An information providing system. Claim 8 A reference information generating means for generating reference information on the first cooking ingredient information based on the selection criterion information transmitted from the terminal of the consumer and being the selection criterion information for selecting the first cooking ingredient information. An information selecting means for selecting, from among the generated first cooking ingredient information, the first cooking ingredient information to be an output target based on the reference information generated by the reference information generating means. The cooking ingredient information output means outputs the first cooking ingredient information selected by the information selecting means. The information providing system according to claim 7. Claim 9 An information selecting means for selecting, from among the first cooking ingredient information generated based on the reference information transmitted from the terminal of the consumer and being the reference information for selecting the first cooking ingredient information, the first cooking ingredient information to be an output target. The cooking ingredient information output means outputs the first cooking ingredient information selected by the information selecting means. The information providing system according to claim 7.

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