Meal support system

Abstract

To support a user in having an appropriate meal according to the actual state of the user.SOLUTION: A meal support system comprises: ingestion information acquisition means that acquires information on nutrients ingested by a user 100 from information on the food stock in a refrigerator 200; user information acquisition means that acquires information on the state of health of the user 100; and an ingestion information proposal unit 14 that proposes information on nutrients that the user 100 is recommended to ingest on the basis of the information on the nutrients acquired by the ingestion information acquisition means and the information on the state of health acquired by the user information acquisition means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a meal assistance system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that manages food stocks and helps users to eat appropriate meals. This system selects food items to be delivered next time based on personal information, pre-registered food data, and stock data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-207260 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The system described in Patent Document 1 does not fully consider the actual condition of the user, making it difficult to effectively provide appropriate dietary support.

[0005] The present disclosure is intended to solve such problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a meal assistance system that can assist a user in eating an appropriate meal in accordance with the user's actual condition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The meal assistance system according to the present disclosure comprises an intake information acquisition means for acquiring information on nutrients ingested by a user from inventory information of ingredients in a refrigerator, a user information acquisition means for acquiring information on the health condition of the user, and a suggestion means for suggesting information on nutrients recommended for intake by the user based on the nutrient information acquired by the intake information acquisition means and the health condition information acquired by the user information acquisition means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the meal assistance system according to the present disclosure, it is possible to assist a user in eating an appropriate meal in accordance with the user's actual condition. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a meal assistance system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the meal assistance system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing an application example of the meal assistance system according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are appropriately simplified or omitted. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Any components disclosed in the following embodiments and their variations can be freely combined, modified, or omitted without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a meal assistance system according to a first embodiment. The meal assistance system according to this embodiment assists user 100 in eating an appropriate meal in accordance with the actual condition of user 100. The life assistance system according to this embodiment is characterized by acquiring information on the health condition of user 100 and information on nutrients actually ingested by user 100, and performing operations according to the acquired information. At least some of the components of the meal assistance system may be provided in refrigerator 200, terminal device 300 such as a smartphone, or other electrical device used by user 100. At least some of the components of the meal assistance system may be provided in an external server device, cloud, or the like.

[0011] The meal assistance system according to this embodiment includes an inventory information acquisition unit 10, a refrigerator food ingredient estimation unit 11, and an ingested food ingredient estimation unit 12, which are examples of intake information acquisition means that acquire information on nutrients ingested by the user 100 from food ingredient inventory information in the refrigerator 200. The inventory information acquisition unit 10 acquires information on the food ingredients in the refrigerator 200, such as the color, shape, size, and surface texture of the food ingredients, from a camera installed inside or outside the refrigerator. The inventory information acquisition unit 10 is not limited to image information acquired by the camera; it may also acquire information such as measurements from a weight sensor installed inside the refrigerator 200. The refrigerator food ingredient estimation unit 11 compares the information acquired by the inventory information acquisition unit 10 with information recorded in the food ingredient database 20 to estimate the types and amounts of food ingredients stored in the refrigerator 200. The refrigerator food ingredient estimation unit 11 records the estimated information on the food ingredients stored in the refrigerator 200.

[0012] The ingredient database 20 stores information about various ingredients. For example, the ingredient database stores information about the color, shape, size, and surface texture of each ingredient. The ingredient database also stores nutrient information for each ingredient. For example, the ingredient database stores information about the protein, lipid, carbohydrate, vitamin, and mineral content of each ingredient, as well as the amount of energy.

[0013] The meal assistance system according to this embodiment may be equipped with a dedicated ingredient database 20. The meal assistance system may also use an ingredient database 20 provided on an external server device or in the cloud.

[0014] The inventory information acquisition unit 10 and the in-fridge ingredient estimation unit 11 acquire inventory information on ingredients in the refrigerator 200 as described above. The inventory information on ingredients in the refrigerator 200 is acquired continuously, for example, at regular intervals. The ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 monitors the inventory information acquired by the inventory information acquisition unit 10 and the in-fridge ingredient estimation unit 11, and estimates that the user 100 has ingested or purchased a specific ingredient when there is a change in the inventory information. The ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 monitors the inventory information and estimates that ingredients that have disappeared from the refrigerator 200 are ingredients ingested by the user 100. The ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 compares information on ingredients ingested by the user 100 with information recorded in the ingredient database 20, and estimates information on the nutrients ingested by the user 100.

[0015] As described above, the inventory information acquisition unit 10, the in-fridge ingredient estimation unit 11, and the ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 acquire information on nutrients ingested by the user 100 from the inventory information of ingredients in the refrigerator 200. The ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 may also acquire information on ingredients purchased by the user 100 and estimate information on the ingested nutrients from the purchase information. This improves the accuracy of the estimation of information on ingested nutrients. The ingredient purchase information may be acquired by inputting it into a terminal device 300 such as a smartphone, or by collaborating with an external organization such as an online supermarket or a consumer cooperative.

[0016] The dietary assistance system according to this embodiment includes a health condition estimation unit 13 as an example of a user information acquisition unit that acquires information about the health condition of the user 100. The health condition estimation unit 13 asks the user 100 questions about the presence or absence of specific symptoms, such as weight loss, rough skin, or leg cramps, and estimates the health condition of the user 100 based on the answers from the user 100. These questions and answers are performed, for example, via a terminal device 300 such as a smartphone. Alternatively, the user 100 may operate the terminal device 300 such as a smartphone to input information about their current health condition. The health condition estimation unit 13 may estimate the health condition of the user 100 from the input information. The health condition estimation unit 13 may also acquire biometric information detected by an external device such as a wearable device and estimate the health condition of the user 100 based on the biometric information. The health condition estimation unit 13 may be configured to acquire information using an application on the terminal device 300 such as a smartphone, as described above, or may be configured as a dedicated device capable of acquiring information.

[0017] The dietary assistance system according to this embodiment includes an intake information suggestion unit 14 as suggestion means for suggesting information about nutrients recommended for intake to the user 100, based on nutrient information acquired by the intake information acquisition means and health condition information acquired by the user information acquisition means. The intake information suggestion unit 14 may be configured to make suggestions using an application on a terminal device 300 such as a smartphone, or may be configured as a dedicated device capable of issuing various notifications.

[0018] Various suggestions may be made by the intake information suggestion unit 14. The intake information suggestion unit 14 may notify the user 100 of the nutrients recommended for intake, for example, which of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc. The intake information suggestion unit 14 may, for example, suggest ingredients containing the recommended nutrients, dishes, recipes for the dishes, menus including the dishes, etc. Furthermore, the intake information suggestion unit 14 may, for example, notify the user of information on the recommended amount of energy intake, or suggest reducing or increasing the amount of energy intake.

[0019] As described above, the meal assistance system according to this embodiment acquires information on nutrients actually consumed by user 100 from inventory information on ingredients in refrigerator 200, and also acquires information on the health condition of user 100. Then, based on the acquired information, it proposes information on nutrients recommended for intake by user 100. The meal assistance system configured in this way can assist user 100 in eating an appropriate meal according to the actual condition of user 100.

[0020] As a result of acquiring information on the health condition of the user 100, the health condition estimation unit 13 may obtain information indicating that the health condition of the user 100 is not good. In such a case, the intake information suggestion unit 14 may, for example, suggest information on nutrients that will improve the health condition of the user 100. This can support the health management of the user 100. The intake information suggestion unit 14 may also suggest information on nutrients that are lacking in the user 100. Alternatively, the intake information suggestion unit 14 may suggest information on nutrients that the user is consuming in excess. For example, information on recommended exercise may be suggested as information on nutrients that are consuming in excess.

[0021] The health state estimation unit 13 may estimate the user's health state by acquiring information such as the weight, age, blood pressure, and blood glucose level of the user 100 and determining whether each piece of information falls within appropriate numerical ranges. The intake information suggestion unit 14 may determine nutrients that are expected to improve the health state, nutrients that are deficient, nutrients that are being consumed in excess, etc., based on the health state estimation result by the health state estimation unit 13 and the estimation result of ingested nutrients by the ingested food ingredient estimation unit 12. Based on this determination result, the intake information suggestion unit 14 may suggest information about nutrients that improve the health state, information about nutrients that are deficient, or information about nutrients that are being consumed in excess.

[0022] The inventory information acquisition unit 10, the in-storage ingredient estimation unit 11, and the ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 acquire information on nutrients ingested by the user 100 for a specific period set by the user 100, such as one day, one week, one month, three months, six months, or one year. When recommending nutrients to the user 100, the nutrients may be identified using, for example, the integrated value or average value of the nutrients ingested by the user 100 during the specific period. For example, the recommended nutrient intake may be identified using the average value per day over a month.

[0023] The intake information suggestion unit 14 may also notify the user 100 of information regarding fluctuations in nutrients ingested by the user 100 over a specific period in the past. For example, the unit may display the average value, integrated value, and standard deviation of the nutrients ingested over the specific period. Alternatively, the unit may display a visualized graph of the information on the nutrients ingested each day. This allows the user 100 to easily recognize the nutritional balance and imbalance of their past meals.

[0024] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the dietary assistance system according to Embodiment 1. The processing operation when the dietary assistance system identifies nutrients that the dietary assistance system recommends to the user 100 to consume will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0025] The meal assistance system of this embodiment continuously monitors inventory information in refrigerator 200. The meal assistance system compares inventory information in refrigerator 200 from a specific period in the past, for example, one day ago, with current inventory information in refrigerator 200 (step S101). It then determines whether there has been a change in the inventory information (step S102). If there has been no change in the inventory information, the system returns to the processing of step S101 and continues monitoring the inventory information in refrigerator 200.

[0026] If there is a change in the inventory information, it is determined whether a new ingredient has been added (step S103). If a new ingredient has been added, the appropriate ingredient is identified from the information registered in the ingredient database 20, and the inventory information is updated to reflect the addition of the identified ingredient (step S104). After the update, the process returns to step S101, and the inventory information in the refrigerator 200 continues to be monitored.

[0027] If it is determined in step S103 that no ingredients have been added, it is then determined whether any ingredients are out (step S105). If no ingredients are out, the process returns to step S101, and the monitoring of inventory information in refrigerator 200 continues. If ingredients are out, nutrient information for the ingredients that have been removed is obtained from the information registered in ingredient database 20 (step S106). The obtained nutrient information is then recorded as information on nutrients taken by user 100 (step S107).

[0028] After the process of step S107, it is determined whether a specific period has passed since the previous estimation of nutrients recommended for intake (step S108). If the specific period has not passed, the process returns to step S101, and the monitoring of inventory information in refrigerator 200 continues.

[0029] If the specified period has passed, the system acquires information on the current health condition of the user 100 (step S109). Then, based on the acquired health condition information and the information registered in the food ingredient database 20, identifies nutrients that are generally recommended for intake (step S110).

[0030] The information on the nutrients identified in step S110 is compared with the information on nutrients taken by the user 100 during a specific period (step S111). From the comparison result, nutrients that are actually recommended for the user 100 to take are identified (step S112). At this time, in step S112, nutrients that are being taken in excess may be identified. Based on the results identified in step S112, suggestions are made to the user 100.

[0031] 3 is a flowchart showing an application example of the meal assistance system according to the first embodiment. The meal assistance system according to the present embodiment can be applied to assist user 100 in managing inventory in refrigerator 200. As described above, intake information suggestion unit 14 estimates nutrients recommended for intake based on information on nutrients taken by user 100 and information on the health condition of user 100 (step S201). Here, when suggesting information on the estimated nutrients, the following processing may be performed.

[0032] After estimating the nutrients recommended for intake, the intake information suggestion unit 14 may obtain information on ingredients that can provide these nutrients from information registered in the ingredient database 20 (step S202). Then, based on the inventory information in the refrigerator 200 obtained by the inventory information acquisition unit 10, it may determine whether the corresponding ingredients are present in the refrigerator 200 (step S203). If the corresponding ingredients are present in the refrigerator 200, it may suggest to the user 100 that they consume these ingredients (step S204). If the corresponding ingredients are not present in the refrigerator 200, it may suggest to the user 100 that they purchase ingredients that can provide the recommended nutrients (step S205).

[0033] 3, if there are ingredients containing the recommended nutrients in the refrigerator 200, the intake information suggestion unit 14 may suggest information about the ingredients, and if there are no ingredients containing the recommended nutrients in the refrigerator 200, the intake information suggestion unit 14 may suggest purchasing the ingredients. This can support the user 100 in appropriate diet and inventory management.

[0034] It is conceivable that there will be multiple users 100 of the dietary assistance system. Therefore, the intake information suggestion unit 14 may suggest information on nutrients recommended for intake to each individual, depending on the results of personal identification of the user 100. This allows for more appropriate suggestions tailored to each individual. For example, a user 100 prone to hyperglycemia may be suggested to consume foods with a low GI value.

[0035] Personal identification can be realized by various methods, such as acquiring image information using a camera or acquiring biometric information of each user 100 using a vital sensor. Specific examples of personal identification will be described below.

[0036] For example, it is possible to obtain usage information of cooking appliances such as an induction cooker and a rice cooker, or information on whether the door of the refrigerator 200 is open or closed, and based on this status, it is possible to estimate whether the current status is cooking or eating. The users 100 who have eaten can be identified from the biometric information of each user 100 at the time when it is estimated that the user is cooking or eating. Examples of biometric information that can be used include heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and blood glucose level. For example, a user 100 whose heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, or blood glucose level increases within 90 minutes from the start of a meal is identified as an individual who has eaten. Note that this determination time is merely an example, and can be set appropriately depending on the individual state of the user 100.

[0037] Alternatively, a dining area, such as a dining room, may be photographed with a camera, and the individual who ate may be identified from the obtained image information. For example, an individual may be identified by learning their characteristics from image information previously acquired by a camera. Furthermore, if food is detected around user 100, the user 100 may be associated with the food, and the nutrients consumed by the individual user 100 may be estimated.

[0038] When it is identified that multiple users 100 have eaten, for example, the total amount of nutrients ingested obtained from the inventory information of ingredients in the refrigerator 200 may be divided by the number of people, and the amount of nutrients ingested by each user 100 may be estimated. Also, for example, the amount of nutrients ingested by each user 100 may be estimated based on the information on the amount of food eaten by each individual set by the user 100. For example, assume that user A has set the amount of food for 1.2 people, user B has set the amount of food for 1 person, and user C has set the amount of food for 0.8 people. Then, the total amount of energy ingested by the three people may be 3000 kcal. In this case, it may be estimated that user A has ingested 1200 kcal, user B has 1000 kcal, and user C has 800 kcal.

[0039] As described above, the inventory information acquisition unit 10, the in-fridge ingredient estimation unit 11, and the ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 acquire information on nutrients ingested by the user 100 from the inventory information of ingredients in the refrigerator 200. The ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 may also acquire information on ingredient purchases by the user 100 and estimate information on the ingested nutrients from the purchase information. Furthermore, the ingested ingredient estimation unit 12 may acquire information on home appliances other than the refrigerator 200 and estimate information on the ingested nutrients from the information. This improves the accuracy of the estimation of information on the ingested nutrients. Examples of home appliances other than the refrigerator 200 include various cooking-related appliances such as rice cookers, induction cookers, coffee makers, microwave ovens, ovens, gas stoves, electric cooking pots, electric pressure cookers, bread makers, low-temperature cookers, yogurt makers, and air fryers.

[0040] For example, the type of food can be estimated from the information on the cooking course of a rice cooker. Furthermore, intake can be estimated from information on the weight of the rice cooker when the lid is opened and closed. The cooking method can be estimated from the heating temperature and heating time of an induction cooker or gas stove. For example, if the heating time is long, it can be assumed that a stew is being cooked, and if the heating temperature or surface temperature of the appliance is high, it can be assumed that a deep-fried food is being cooked. Furthermore, information related to meals can be obtained from information on the selected course of a microwave oven or oven, information on the heating time, and information detected by cameras and sensors inside the oven. Information related to meals can also be obtained from the selected course of a coffee maker, electric cooking pot, electric pressure cooker, bread maker, yogurt maker, and air fryer.

[0041] When linked to a home appliance, advice related to the food consumed may be provided, for example, to suggest information regarding recommended nutrients. For example, if it is estimated that a person has eaten fried food, information on the calories from oil may be provided, or suggestions may be made regarding the prevention of certain diseases such as obesity.

[0042] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0043] (Appendix 1) an intake information acquisition means for acquiring information on nutrients taken by the user from inventory information of ingredients in the refrigerator; a user information acquisition means for acquiring information on the health condition of the user; a suggestion means for suggesting information on nutrients recommended for intake to the user based on the information on the nutrients acquired by the intake information acquisition means and the information on the health condition acquired by the user information acquisition means; A meal assistance system equipped with: (Appendix 2) 2. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the intake information acquisition means acquires purchasing information of ingredients and acquires information on nutrients taken by the user from the purchasing information. (Appendix 3) 3. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion means suggests information about nutrients that will improve the health of the user. (Appendix 4) 4. The dietary support system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion means suggests information about nutrients that are lacking to the user. (Appendix 5) 5. The dietary support system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion means suggests information about nutrients that the user is consuming in excess. (Appendix 6) 6. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion means notifies the user of information relating to fluctuations in nutrients ingested by the user during a specific period in the past. (Appendix 7) The suggestion means is configured to suggest information about ingredients containing nutrients recommended for the user to consume if the refrigerator contains ingredients, and to suggest purchasing ingredients if the refrigerator does not contain ingredients containing nutrients recommended for the user to consume. (Appendix 8) 8. The dietary support system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion means suggests information on nutrients recommended for intake for each individual user according to a result of personal identification of the user. (Appendix 9) The dietary assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the intake information acquisition means acquires information from a home appliance other than the refrigerator and acquires information on the nutrients the user has taken from the information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10 Stock Information Acquisition Section 11. In-fridge food ingredient estimation section 12 Food Intake Estimation Section 13 Health Status Estimation Department 14 Intake Information Suggestion Section 20 Food Database 100 users 200 refrigerator 300 Terminal Equipment

Claims

1. an intake information acquisition means for acquiring information on nutrients taken by the user from inventory information of ingredients in the refrigerator; a user information acquisition means for acquiring information on the user's health condition; a suggestion means for suggesting information on nutrients recommended for intake to the user based on the information on the nutrients acquired by the intake information acquisition means and the information on the health condition acquired by the user information acquisition means; A meal assistance system equipped with:

2. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the intake information acquisition means acquires purchasing information of ingredients and acquires information on nutrients taken by the user from the purchasing information.

3. 3. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion unit suggests information about nutrients that improve the health condition of the user.

4. 3. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion unit suggests information about nutrients that are lacking to the user.

5. 3. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion unit suggests information about nutrients that the user is consuming in excess.

6. 3. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the suggestion means notifies the user of information regarding fluctuations in nutrients ingested by the user during a specific period in the past.

7. The meal support system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the suggestion means suggests information about ingredients containing nutrients recommended for intake if the refrigerator contains ingredients, and suggests purchasing ingredients if the refrigerator does not contain ingredients containing nutrients recommended for intake.

8. 3. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the suggesting means suggests information on nutrients recommended for intake for each individual user, depending on the result of personal identification of the user.

9. 3. The dietary assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the intake information acquisition means acquires information on a home appliance other than the refrigerator, and acquires information on nutrients taken by the user from the information.

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