system

Abstract

This system aims to reduce the burden on housewives and working women, enabling them to manage their households efficiently and economically. [Solution] A system for managing data from household electronic devices, comprising: means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to a user terminal; means for taking pictures of receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household ledger based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to obtain inventory information and expiration date information; means for notifying the user terminal of the obtained information; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; and means for executing electronic payment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for controlling a persona chatbot, which is performed by at least one processor, including steps of receiving a user utterance, adding the user utterance to a prompt including an instruction sentence related to an explanation of a chatbot character, encoding the prompt, and inputting the encoded prompt into a language model to generate a chatbot utterance as a response to the user utterance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In modern households, it is very difficult to create a menu considering nutritional balance and shop efficiently within budget. In addition to this problem, managing the expiration dates of foods and reducing food waste are also important issues. However, performing all these tasks manually places a heavy burden on housewives and working women and requires a lot of time and labor. Therefore, a system that comprehensively solves these problems is demanded.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following means. First, a system for managing data from household electronic devices is constructed. This system has the function of automatically generating menus and shopping lists that take nutritional balance and budget into consideration, based on the target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences entered by the user. Furthermore, it takes pictures of receipts and food labels with a camera, converts them into text data using OCR technology, and updates the household ledger based on this data. In addition, by linking with a household refrigerator and acquiring and managing inventory information and expiration date information, food waste is reduced. This makes it possible to suggest recipes that efficiently utilize food that is nearing its expiration date and notify the user. Furthermore, it has the function of automatically searching for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and carrying out purchase procedures, and shopping can be completed efficiently through electronic payment. With a system having this series of functions, the burden on housewives and working women is reduced, and household management becomes possible efficiently and economically.

[0006] "Household electronic devices" is a general term for electrical or electronic devices used in the home, and includes refrigerators, rice cookers, washing machines, etc.

[0007] "Means of input" refers to a device or interface for a user to provide specific information to a system, and includes means such as keyboards, touchscreens, and voice input.

[0008] "Means of generation" refers to a device or software that executes algorithms or programs to produce specific deliverables based on input data.

[0009] "Means of transmission" refers to means of communication used to move data from one device or system to another, including internet connections, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.

[0010] "Means of capturing images" refers to devices that use cameras or imaging devices to acquire visual information as digital images.

[0011] "Means of conversion" refers to technologies for converting acquired digital images into text data, particularly OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology.

[0012] "Means of updating" refers to programs or processes used to replace or add new data or information to existing data or information.

[0013] "Means of collaboration" refers to technologies and protocols that enable data sharing and integrated operation between different devices and systems.

[0014] "Means of acquisition" refers to methods and technologies for obtaining necessary information from external devices or systems, including API connections and sensors.

[0015] "Means of notification" refers to technologies and devices used to convey specific information or warnings to users, including smartphone push notifications and email.

[0016] "Searching methods" refer to algorithms or programs used to find specific information or items on the internet or within a specific database.

[0017] "Methods for automating the purchase process" refer to technologies and programs that allow users to order products and complete the purchase process with minimal user intervention.

[0018] "Means of electronic payment" refers to the technology and programs that allow users to pay for goods and services through digital transactions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2]It is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the main functions of a data processing device and a smart device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data processing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the main functions of a data processing device and smart glasses according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data processing system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the main functions of a data processing device and a headset-type terminal according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a data processing system according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the main functions of a data processing device and a robot according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] It shows an emotion map to which a plurality of emotions are mapped. [Figure 10] It shows an emotion map to which a plurality of emotions are mapped. [Figure 11] It is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the data processing system in Example 1. [Figure 12] It is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the data processing system in Application Example 1. [Figure 13] It is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the data processing system in Example 2 when an emotion engine is combined. [Figure 14] It is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the data processing system in Application Example 2 when an emotion engine is combined.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a system according to the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] First, let's explain the terminology used in the following explanation.

[0022] In the following embodiments, the signed processor (hereinafter simply referred to as "processor") may be a single arithmetic unit or a combination of multiple arithmetic units. Furthermore, the processor may be a single type of arithmetic unit or a combination of multiple types of arithmetic units. Examples of arithmetic units include CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), GPGPU (General-Purpose computing on Graphics Processing Units), and APU (Accelerated Processing Unit).

[0023] In the following embodiments, signed RAM (Random Access Memory) is a memory that temporarily stores information and is used as work memory by the processor.

[0024] In the following embodiments, the signed storage is one or more non-volatile storage devices that store various programs and various parameters. Examples of non-volatile storage devices include flash memory (SSD (Solid State Drive)), magnetic disks (e.g., hard disks), or magnetic tapes.

[0025] In the following embodiments, the signed communication interface (I / F) is an interface that includes a communication processor and an antenna, etc. The communication interface manages communication between multiple computers. Examples of communication standards applicable to the communication interface include wireless communication standards such as 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication System), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0026] In the following embodiments, "A and / or B" is synonymous with "at least one of A and B." That is, "A and / or B" means that it may be A alone, or B alone, or a combination of A and B. Furthermore, in this specification, the same concept as "A and / or B" applies when expressing three or more things linked by "and / or."

[0027] [First Embodiment]

[0028] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of the data processing system 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the data processing system 10 includes a data processing device 12 and a smart device 14. An example of the data processing device 12 is a server.

[0030] The data processing device 12 comprises a computer 22, a database 24, and a communication interface 26. The computer 22 is an example of a "computer" related to the technology of this disclosure. The computer 22 comprises a processor 28, RAM 30, and storage 32. The processor 28, RAM 30, and storage 32 are connected to a bus 34. The database 24 and the communication interface 26 are also connected to the bus 34. The communication interface 26 is connected to a network 54. An example of the network 54 is a WAN (Wide Area Network) and / or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0031] The smart device 14 comprises a computer 36, a reception device 38, an output device 40, a camera 42, and a communication interface 44. The computer 36 comprises a processor 46, RAM 48, and storage 50. The processor 46, RAM 48, and storage 50 are connected to a bus 52. The reception device 38, output device 40, and camera 42 are also connected to the bus 52.

[0032] The reception device 38 is equipped with a touch panel 38A and a microphone 38B, etc., and receives user input. The touch panel 38A receives user input by detecting contact with an object (e.g., a pen or finger). The microphone 38B receives user input by detecting the user's voice. The control unit 46A transmits data indicating the user input received by the touch panel 38A and microphone 38B to the data processing device 12. In the data processing device 12, the specific processing unit 290 acquires the data indicating the user input.

[0033] The output device 40 includes a display 40A and a speaker 40B, and presents data to the user 20 by outputting the data in a form perceptible to the user 20 (e.g., audio and / or text). The display 40A displays visible information such as text and images according to instructions from the processor 46. The speaker 40B outputs audio according to instructions from the processor 46. The camera 42 is a small digital camera equipped with an optical system such as a lens, aperture, and shutter, and an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor.

[0034] Communication interface 44 is connected to network 54. Communication interfaces 44 and 26 are responsible for the exchange of various types of information between processor 46 and processor 28 via network 54.

[0035] Figure 2 shows an example of the main functions of the data processing device 12 and the smart device 14.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, in the data processing device 12, a specific processing is performed by the processor 28. A specific processing program 56 is stored in the storage 32. The specific processing program 56 is an example of a "program" related to the technology of this disclosure. The processor 28 reads the specific processing program 56 from the storage 32 and executes the read specific processing program 56 on the RAM 30. The specific processing is realized by the processor 28 operating as a specific processing unit 290 according to the specific processing program 56 executed on the RAM 30.

[0037] The storage 32 stores the data generation model 58 and the emotion identification model 59. The data generation model 58 and the emotion identification model 59 are used by the identification processing unit 290.

[0038] In the smart device 14, the processor 46 performs the reception output processing. The storage 50 stores the reception output program 60. The reception output program 60 is used in conjunction with a specific processing program 56 by the data processing system 10. The processor 46 reads the reception output program 60 from the storage 50 and executes the read reception output program 60 on the RAM 48. The reception output processing is realized by the processor 46 operating as a control unit 46A according to the reception output program 60 executed on the RAM 48.

[0039] Next, the specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 will be described. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the smart device 14 as the "terminal".

[0040] This invention relates to a system for managing data from household electronic devices and efficiently managing household operations. The embodiments for implementing this system are described in detail below.

[0041] System Configuration

[0042] 1. User terminal:

[0043] User terminals include interfaces such as smartphones, tablets, and personal computers.

[0044] The user terminal allows users to input information such as their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences.

[0045] You can use the camera function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[0046] 2. Server:

[0047] The server receives and processes data sent from the user's terminal.

[0048] The server generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration, based on the entered data.

[0049] OCR technology is used to convert captured images into text data.

[0050] It has a function to automatically update the household budget.

[0051] It connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[0052] The system searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automates the purchase process.

[0053] Complete your shopping efficiently through electronic payment.

[0054] 3. Household refrigerator:

[0055] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[0056] System operation

[0057] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0058] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using their user terminal. This data is then transmitted to the server via the interface.

[0059] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes.

[0060] Based on the received data, the server uses an algorithm to automatically generate a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[0061] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0062] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using the camera on their device. The device uses OCR technology to convert the images into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[0063] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0064] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This information is efficiently communicated to the user, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date.

[0065] Ingredient information and notifications

[0066] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients nearing their expiration date. This helps reduce food waste and allows for efficient consumption of ingredients. The suggestions are notified to the user's terminal, where the user can review them.

[0067] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0068] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase via electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[0069] Specific example

[0070] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the purchased ingredients and their amounts will be automatically reflected in the household budget.

[0071] Furthermore, through integration with the refrigerator, if information such as "the eggs expire in 3 days" is obtained, the server will suggest recipes using eggs (e.g., omelets) and notify the user. The user can then search for more eggs on an e-commerce site and proceed with the purchase. Once the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[0072] As described above, the present invention improves the efficiency of household management, reduces the burden on housewives and working women, and also has the effect of suppressing food waste.

[0073] The following describes the processing flow.

[0074] System-wide processing steps

[0075] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0076] Step 1:

[0077] The user launches the application on their device and accesses the settings screen.

[0078] Step 2:

[0079] The terminal displays an input form, and the user enters information such as their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences.

[0080] Step 3:

[0081] The user completes the input and presses the "Submit" button.

[0082] Step 4:

[0083] The terminal sends the input data to the server.

[0084] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes.

[0085] Step 1:

[0086] The server receives data sent by the user.

[0087] Step 2:

[0088] Based on the food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences received by the server, an internal algorithm is executed to generate a menu and shopping list that is nutritionally balanced and within budget.

[0089] Step 3:

[0090] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the terminal.

[0091] Step 4:

[0092] The device displays a menu and shopping list to the user.

[0093] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0094] Step 1:

[0095] After shopping, the user takes a picture of the receipt or food label with the device's camera.

[0096] Step 2:

[0097] The device performs OCR processing on the captured image, converting the image data into text data.

[0098] Step 3:

[0099] The terminal sends the converted text data to the server.

[0100] Reflection in household budget

[0101] Step 1:

[0102] The server receives the OCR-processed text data.

[0103] Step 2:

[0104] The server analyzes the received data to identify the purchased items and their prices.

[0105] Step 3:

[0106] The household budget is updated based on the data from which the server was identified.

[0107] Step 4:

[0108] The server sends the updated household budget data to the terminal.

[0109] Step 5:

[0110] The device displays the updated household budget to the user.

[0111] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0112] Step 1:

[0113] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators.

[0114] Step 2:

[0115] The server organizes the data it acquires and manages inventory status and expiration dates.

[0116] Step 3:

[0117] The server notifies users of important inventory and expiration date information.

[0118] Step 4:

[0119] The device displays a notification to the user.

[0120] Ingredient information and notifications

[0121] Step 1:

[0122] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients that are nearing their expiration date.

[0123] Step 2:

[0124] The server sends the proposal to the user's terminal.

[0125] Step 3:

[0126] The device displays suggestions to the user.

[0127] Step 4:

[0128] Users review the suggested recipes and use them as needed.

[0129] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0130] Step 1:

[0131] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites.

[0132] Step 2:

[0133] The server initiates the purchase process based on the search results.

[0134] Step 3:

[0135] The server sends the order details to the user's terminal and prompts the user to confirm the order.

[0136] Step 4:

[0137] The terminal displays the order details to the user and asks for confirmation.

[0138] Step 5:

[0139] The user reviews the order details and confirms the purchase.

[0140] Step 6:

[0141] The user makes a payment using an electronic payment system.

[0142] Step 7:

[0143] The server confirms the completion of the purchase process and arranges for the delivery of the purchased ingredients.

[0144] These detailed processing steps improve the efficiency of household management, reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and help to reduce food waste.

[0145] (Example 1)

[0146] Next, we will describe Example 1. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the smart device 14 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[0147] In modern household management, managing food expenses and providing nutritionally balanced meals are crucial challenges. Especially for busy families, shopping, grocery management, and meal planning are cumbersome, leading to increased food waste. Traditional manual methods of updating household budgets, creating meal plans, and generating shopping lists are time-consuming and hinder efficient household management. Furthermore, managing food expiration dates and purchasing necessary ingredients also poses a significant burden. A system is needed to solve these problems and streamline household management.

[0148] The identification process performed by the identification processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Example 1 is realized by the following means.

[0149] In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences using a user terminal; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal; means for photographing receipts and food labels using OCR technology and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household ledger based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information; means for suggesting a specific recipe based on the acquired inventory information and expiration date information and notifying the user terminal; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; and means for displaying the order details to the user terminal and completing the purchase through electronic payment. This streamlines household management, enables effective food expense management and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals, and contributes to reducing food waste.

[0150] A "user terminal" refers to an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer that a user operates.

[0151] "Food expense target amount" is the target amount for food expenses set by the user for a month or a specific period.

[0152] "Family structure" refers to information that shows the number of people in a household and their relationships (adults, children, others).

[0153] "Dietary preferences" refers to information indicating what types of food the user or their family prefers (e.g., Japanese food, low-fat diet, etc.).

[0154] "Nutritional balance" refers to a state in which the nutrients necessary to maintain health are appropriately combined.

[0155] A "menu" is a list of dishes planned for a specific period or meal.

[0156] A "shopping list" is a list of ingredients and products that need to be purchased based on a meal plan.

[0157] "OCR technology" refers to optical character recognition technology, which is a technology that converts characters in an image into digital text.

[0158] A "household account book" is a ledger used to record and manage data on household income and expenses, especially food expenses.

[0159] A "household refrigerator" is a refrigeration device used in a home for storing food.

[0160] "Inventory information" refers to detailed information about the food and ingredients currently stored in the refrigerator.

[0161] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the best-before date or expiration date of food and ingredients in the refrigerator.

[0162] An "e-commerce site" is a website where you can purchase goods via the internet.

[0163] "Electronic payment" refers to a method of payment using digital currency, credit cards, etc., through online purchase procedures.

[0164] This invention relates to a system for managing household food expenses and providing nutritionally balanced meal plans. This system combines a user terminal, a server, and a household refrigerator, and through the roles and coordination of each component, it streamlines household operations.

[0165] First, users input their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences using a user device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This data is then transmitted from the user device to the server. The hardware used includes smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. Specific software examples include user input applications and web browsers.

[0166] Next, the server uses an AI algorithm to generate a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget based on the received data. A generative AI model is used for this process. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[0167] After shopping, users use their device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The device uses OCR technology to convert the captured images into text data and sends this data to a server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget. The software used includes an OCR engine and a server-side analysis program.

[0168] Furthermore, the server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. Based on this information, it suggests specific recipes for foods nearing their expiration date and notifies the user's terminal. This helps reduce food waste and allows for efficient consumption of ingredients. IoT technology is used for communication between the refrigerator and the server.

[0169] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase through electronic payment. Through this entire process, the necessary ingredients are delivered to the user's home without any hassle.

[0170] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the purchased ingredients and their amounts are automatically reflected in the household budget. Furthermore, by linking with the refrigerator, if the server receives information such as "the eggs expire in three days," it will suggest an egg-based recipe (e.g., omelet) and notify the user. Subsequently, the process of purchasing eggs from an e-commerce site begins, and after the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[0171] An example of a specific prompt for the generating AI model would be: "Please generate a nutritionally balanced menu and shopping list, assuming a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of 4 people, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat."

[0172] As described above, the system of the present invention streamlines household operations and supports the management of food expenses and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals.

[0173] The flow of the specific processing in Example 1 will be explained using Figure 11.

[0174] Step 1:

[0175] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0176] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using their own devices such as smartphones, tablets, or personal computers. This input data includes the food budget target (e.g., 50,000 yen), family structure (e.g., 2 adults, 2 children), and dietary preferences (e.g., Japanese food, low-fat). This data is then transmitted from the user's device to the server.

[0177] Specific operation: When the user opens the app, enters their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences in the settings screen, and presses the save button, the device sends the data to the server.

[0178] Step 2:

[0179] Generating menus and shopping lists

[0180] The server receives data sent from the user. Based on the received data, an AI algorithm generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration. Input data includes the user's target budget, family structure, and preferences. Output data includes a menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list.

[0181] Specific operation: The server's AI model processes incoming data, generates nutritionally balanced meal plans and shopping lists tailored to each household's settings, and saves the results to a database.

[0182] Step 3:

[0183] Sending a menu and shopping list

[0184] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal. The input is the menu and shopping list generated by the AI ​​algorithm, and the output is the menu sent to the user's terminal.

[0185] Specific operation: The server encodes the generated menu and shopping list in JSON format and sends it to the user's terminal.

[0186] Step 4:

[0187] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0188] After shopping, the user uses the device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The input data is the captured images, and the output data is the purchase information extracted in text format.

[0189] Specific operation: After the user finishes shopping, they open the app, tap the camera icon, and take a picture of the receipt. The device then uses OCR technology to convert the image into text data and sends it to the server.

[0190] Step 5:

[0191] Updating the household budget

[0192] The server analyzes the received text data and automatically updates the household budget ledger. The input data is text information converted by OCR (e.g., "Eggs 200 yen", "Milk 150 yen"), and the output data is the updated household budget ledger information.

[0193] Specific operation: The server parses the text data and updates the household budget database by adding the purchase items and amounts.

[0194] Step 6:

[0195] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0196] The server interacts with a household refrigerator to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. The input data consists of inventory information obtained from the refrigerator (e.g., "3 eggs in stock," "3 days until expiration"), while the output data is information stored in the inventory database.

[0197] Specific operation: The server retrieves refrigerator data via API at regular intervals and saves inventory information and expiration date information to a database.

[0198] Step 7:

[0199] Notifications and recipe suggestions for food nearing its expiration date.

[0200] The server suggests a specific recipe based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information and notifies the user terminal. The input data is the expiration date information obtained from the refrigerator, and the output data is the recipe suggestion sent to the user terminal.

[0201] Specific operation: Based on the information that "the eggs are nearing their expiration date," the server generates a recipe using eggs (e.g., omelet) and notifies the user's terminal.

[0202] Step 8:

[0203] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0204] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The input data is a list of suggested ingredients, and the output data is the order details displayed on the user's terminal.

[0205] Specific operation: The server uses "egg" as a keyword to call an e-commerce API, searches for the most suitable product, generates an order, and sends it to the user's terminal.

[0206] Step 9:

[0207] Order confirmation and electronic payment

[0208] The user confirms the purchase details via the terminal and completes the purchase through electronic payment. The input data is the order details, and the output data is the completed electronic payment information.

[0209] Specific operation: The user reviews the received order details in the app and taps the bulk payment button. The purchased groceries are then delivered to their home.

[0210] Through the processing steps described above, the system of the present invention streamlines household management and supports the management of food expenses and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals.

[0211] (Application Example 1)

[0212] Next, we will explain Application Example 1. In the following explanation, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the smart device 14 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[0213] It is difficult for households to efficiently purchase groceries, maintain proper food budgeting and nutritional balance, and automatically update household accounts. In particular, there is a lack of a system that centrally manages food expiration dates, meal planning, and electronic payment processes. As a result, food waste and unnecessary spending increase, leading to inefficient household management.

[0214] The specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Application Example 1 is realized by the following means.

[0215] In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to a user terminal; means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household budget based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to obtain inventory information and expiration date information; means for notifying the user terminal of the obtained information; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; means for executing electronic payment; and means for the user terminal to perform ingredient search, order notification, automatic purchase procedure, and electronic payment process. This enables centralized management of household food expenses, menu planning, ingredient purchase, household budget updates, expiration date management, and even electronic payment, allowing for efficient household management.

[0216] "Household electronic devices" refers to all electronic devices used within the home.

[0217] A "data management system" refers to a mechanism that efficiently processes, stores, and utilizes information obtained from users.

[0218] A "food expense target amount" is a set amount that sets an upper limit on food expenses within a specific period.

[0219] "Family structure" refers to the number and relationships of individual members belonging to the same household.

[0220] "Dietary preferences" refer to the types and characteristics of food that individual users or families prefer.

[0221] "Nutritional balance" refers to a state in which the nutrients necessary for maintaining health are appropriately distributed.

[0222] A "budget" is a plan or constraint on income and expenditures over a specific period.

[0223] A "menu" refers to a set of meal options for a specific period of time.

[0224] A "shopping list" refers to a list of necessary items or ingredients.

[0225] "User terminal" refers to all devices that a user uses to interface with a system.

[0226] A "receipt" refers to a paper or digital record that details the items purchased and their prices.

[0227] A "food label" is a label that contains information about food products, such as ingredients and expiration dates.

[0228] "Methods for converting images into text data" refers to technologies that analyze textual information within an image and convert it into electronic text.

[0229] "A means of updating a household budget" refers to a function for keeping household income and expenditure information up-to-date.

[0230] A "household refrigerator" is a cooling device used for food storage in a home.

[0231] "Inventory information" refers to information about the quantity and condition of goods and food items currently in stock.

[0232] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the date by which food or products can be safely consumed.

[0233] "Means of notification" refer to the technologies and processes used to convey information to users.

[0234] An "e-commerce site" is a website where goods and services are bought and sold online.

[0235] "Methods for automating the purchase process" refer to systems that automatically handle the entire process from selecting products, placing orders, and making payments.

[0236] "Electronic payment" refers to a method of making payments using digital technology.

[0237] This invention relates to a system for efficiently managing data from household electronic devices and supporting household operations. This system has the following configuration and operating procedure.

[0238] System Configuration

[0239] 1. User terminal:

[0240] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using devices such as smartphones or smart glasses.

[0241] It has a camera function for taking pictures of receipts and food labels.

[0242] 2. Server:

[0243] Based on the entered data, the system generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[0244] Using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, images are converted into text data, and the household budget is automatically updated.

[0245] It integrates with the IoT (Internet of Things) functionality of household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[0246] The system searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automates the purchase process.

[0247] Complete your purchase quickly through electronic payment.

[0248] 3. Household refrigerator:

[0249] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that can store and transmit inventory and expiration date information to a server.

[0250] Data handling and processing

[0251] User terminal:

[0252] The user terminal is used to input their target food budget, family composition, and dietary preferences.

[0253] Users take photos of receipts or food labels and send the image data to the server.

[0254] server:

[0255] The system receives data sent from the user's terminal, uses an algorithm to generate a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget, and sends them back to the user's terminal.

[0256] Using OCR technology such as Pytesseract, image data is converted into text data. Then, the household budget is automatically updated.

[0257] The system periodically communicates with household refrigerators to obtain information on the contents and expiration dates. If necessary, it suggests specific recipes to reduce food waste and notifies the user's device.

[0258] The system uses e-commerce site APIs to search for suggested ingredients, presents the results in a user-friendly format, and automates the purchase process.

[0259] The payment process is expedited through the electronic payment API.

[0260] Specific example:

[0261] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of "Japanese food" and "low-fat," the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. After the user takes a picture of the receipt, the purchased ingredients and their amounts are automatically reflected in the household budget. Furthermore, by linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "the eggs expire in three days" is obtained, the server will suggest an egg-based recipe (e.g., omelet) and notify the user. The user can then search for more eggs on an e-commerce site and proceed with the purchase. Once the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[0262] Example of a prompt:

[0263] "Please suggest a Japanese meal menu for a family of four with a budget of 50,000 yen. We are limiting our preference to low-fat options. Please also generate a shopping list."

[0264] The flow of a specific process in Application Example 1 will be explained using Figure 12.

[0265] Step 1:

[0266] Users enter their target food budget, family size, and dietary preferences.

[0267] Users input their food budget target, family size, and dietary preferences using a smartphone or smart glasses. The system then retrieves the information the user needs. The entered data is sent to a server and stored in a database.

[0268] Input: Target amount for food expenses, family structure, dietary preferences

[0269] Output: Sending user data to the server

[0270] Step 2:

[0271] The server generates a menu and shopping list.

[0272] The server executes an algorithm to generate a meal plan and shopping list that takes into account nutritional balance and budget, based on the received food budget target, family size, and dietary preferences. This creates a meal plan and shopping list that is optimal for each household.

[0273] Input: User data (target food expenditure, family structure, dietary preferences)

[0274] Output: Menu and shopping list

[0275] Step 3:

[0276] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal.

[0277] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal. The user can view this information on a smartphone or smart glasses.

[0278] Input: Menu and shopping list

[0279] Output: Data transmission to the user terminal

[0280] Step 4:

[0281] The user takes pictures of receipts and food labels

[0282] The user takes pictures of the receipts and food labels of the purchased ingredients with the camera of a smartphone or smart glasses. The taken pictures are sent to the server.

[0283] Input: Images of receipts and food labels

[0284] Output: Image data transmission to the server

[0285] Step 5:

[0286] The server converts the image into text data using OCR technology

[0287] The server uses OCR technology such as Pytesseract to analyze the received image and convert it into text data. The analyzed information is automatically reflected in the household ledger system.

[0288] Input: Image data of receipts and food labels

[0289] Output: Text data and updated household ledger

[0290] Step 6:

[0291] The server performs data linkage with the household refrigerator to obtain inventory information and expiration date information

[0292] The server periodically acquires inventory and expiration date information through the IoT functionality of household refrigerators. The acquired data is stored on the server, and inventory and expiration date information is managed there.

[0293] Input: Inventory information and expiration date information in the refrigerator

[0294] Output: Updated inventory and expiration date information

[0295] Step 7:

[0296] The server suggests a specific recipe based on the information it has acquired and notifies the user's terminal.

[0297] The server generates recipes using food items that are nearing their expiration date, based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information. The generated recipes are then sent to the user's terminal.

[0298] Input: Updated inventory information and expiration date information

[0299] Output: Recipe and notification to user terminal

[0300] Step 8:

[0301] The server automatically searches for ingredients on e-commerce sites and processes the purchase.

[0302] The server automatically searches e-commerce sites based on the generated shopping list. The suggested ingredients are purchased online, and the user only needs to review and approve the order.

[0303] Input: Shopping list

[0304] Output: Online purchase procedure and purchase confirmation notification to the user's terminal.

[0305] Step 9:

[0306] The server executes electronic payment

[0307] The server uses the electronic payment API to quickly complete the payment for the purchase content. The information that the purchase has been completed is notified to the user terminal.

[0308] Input: Purchase content

[0309] Output: Notification of completion of electronic payment and payment confirmation

[0310] Furthermore, an emotion engine for estimating the user's emotion may be combined. That is, the specific processing unit 290 may estimate the user's emotion using the emotion specific model 59 and perform specific processing using the user's emotion.

[0311] The present invention relates to a system that combines an emotion engine with a data management system for household electronic devices to generate a menu optimized for the user's emotional state, a shopping list, and food suggestions, reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and reduce food loss. The form for implementing this system will be described in detail below.

[0312] Configuration of the system

[0313] 1. User terminal:

[0314] The user terminal includes a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, etc., and is equipped with an input interface, a camera, a microphone, etc.

[0315] The user can use the terminal to input the food cost target amount, family composition, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[0316] It has a function of taking pictures of receipts and food labels.

[0317] 2. Server:

[0318] The server receives the data transmitted from the user and performs processing.

[0319] Based on your food budget target, family size, dietary preferences, and emotional state, the system generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget.

[0320] It has the ability to recognize the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions using an emotion engine.

[0321] OCR technology is used to convert captured images into text data.

[0322] It has an automatic household budget update function.

[0323] It connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[0324] Automate search and purchase procedures, as well as electronic payment, on e-commerce websites.

[0325] 3. Household refrigerator:

[0326] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[0327] System operation

[0328] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0329] Users input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state using their user device. Emotional state may also be captured in real time using the device's camera and microphone. This data is transmitted to the server through the interface.

[0330] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes, with emotional adaptation.

[0331] The server runs an internal algorithm based on the received food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state to generate a menu and shopping list. In particular, it takes the user's emotional state into consideration; for example, if the user is feeling stressed, it suggests ingredients and recipes with relaxing effects. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[0332] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0333] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using the camera on their device. The device uses OCR technology to convert the images into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[0334] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0335] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This information is efficiently communicated to the user, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date. The system also provides suggestions tailored to the user's emotional state.

[0336] Ingredient information and notifications

[0337] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients nearing their expiration date. Based on an emotion engine, for example, if the user is tired, it will suggest easy-to-prepare and nutritious meals. The suggestions are notified to the user's terminal, and the user can check them.

[0338] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0339] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase via electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[0340] Specific example

[0341] If a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, and the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, the server generates a menu that is effective in reducing stress (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and sends it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list.

[0342] When a user takes a picture of their receipt after shopping, the device extracts data such as "Fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen" and reflects it in their household budget. By linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "the fish expires in 3 days" is notified, the server will suggest a simple recipe using the fish.

[0343] The server searches e-commerce sites to purchase additional suggested ingredients and displays the order details on the user's terminal. Once the user confirms and completes payment electronically, the fish and vegetables are delivered to their home.

[0344] This improves the efficiency of household management, reduces user stress, and minimizes food waste.

[0345] The following describes the processing flow.

[0346] System-wide processing steps

[0347] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0348] Step 1:

[0349] The user launches the application on their device and accesses the settings screen.

[0350] Step 2:

[0351] Following the input form displayed on the device, the user enters their target food budget, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[0352] Step 3:

[0353] The user completes the input and presses the "Submit" button.

[0354] Step 4:

[0355] The terminal sends the input data to the server.

[0356] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes, with emotional adaptation.

[0357] Step 1:

[0358] The server receives data sent by the user.

[0359] Step 2:

[0360] The server uses an emotion engine to determine the user's emotional state.

[0361] Step 3:

[0362] Based on the food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state received by the server, it generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[0363] Step 4:

[0364] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the terminal.

[0365] Step 5:

[0366] The device displays a menu and shopping list to the user.

[0367] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0368] Step 1:

[0369] After shopping, the user takes a picture of the receipt or food label with the device's camera.

[0370] Step 2:

[0371] The device performs OCR processing on the captured image, converting the image data into text data.

[0372] Step 3:

[0373] The terminal sends the converted text data to the server.

[0374] Reflection in household budget

[0375] Step 1:

[0376] The server receives the OCR-processed text data.

[0377] Step 2:

[0378] The server analyzes the received data to identify the purchased items and their prices.

[0379] Step 3:

[0380] The household budget is updated based on the data from which the server was identified.

[0381] Step 4:

[0382] The server sends the updated household budget data to the terminal.

[0383] Step 5:

[0384] The device displays the updated household budget to the user.

[0385] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0386] Step 1:

[0387] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators.

[0388] Step 2:

[0389] The server organizes the data it acquires and manages inventory status and expiration dates.

[0390] Step 3:

[0391] The server notifies the user's terminal of information about food items nearing their expiration date, along with related recipes.

[0392] Step 4:

[0393] The device displays a notification to the user.

[0394] Ingredient information and notifications

[0395] Step 1:

[0396] The server uses an emotion engine to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients that are nearing their expiration date, based on the user's emotional state and refrigerator inventory data.

[0397] Step 2:

[0398] The server sends the proposal to the user's terminal.

[0399] Step 3:

[0400] The device displays suggestions to the user.

[0401] Step 4:

[0402] Users review the suggested recipes and use them as needed.

[0403] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0404] Step 1:

[0405] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites.

[0406] Step 2:

[0407] The server initiates the purchase process based on the search results.

[0408] Step 3:

[0409] The server sends the order details to the user's terminal and prompts the user to confirm the order.

[0410] Step 4:

[0411] The terminal displays the order details to the user and asks for confirmation.

[0412] Step 5:

[0413] The user reviews the order details and confirms the purchase.

[0414] Step 6:

[0415] The user makes a payment using an electronic payment system.

[0416] Step 7:

[0417] The server confirms the completion of the purchase process and arranges for the delivery of the purchased ingredients.

[0418] These detailed processing steps reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and streamline household management. Furthermore, by combining this with an emotion engine, flexible and optimal suggestions tailored to the user's emotional state become possible, providing even greater convenience and satisfaction.

[0419] (Example 2)

[0420] Next, we will describe Example 2. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the smart device 14 as the "terminal".

[0421] In modern households, managing family meals and saving on food costs are challenges that require considerable effort and time. For working women and housewives in particular, planning daily menus, shopping, and preventing food waste are major sources of stress. Furthermore, while choosing meals based on one's emotional state is important, a system to achieve this does not yet exist. In addition, conventional systems are insufficient for tasks such as managing refrigerator inventory, tracking expiration dates, and automatically generating shopping lists.

[0422] The identification processing by the identification processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Example 2 is realized by the following means. In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences; means for generating a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal; means for recognizing emotional states and optimizing the menu and shopping list based on those states; means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household ledger based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information; means for notifying the user terminal of the acquired information; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; and means for executing electronic payment. As a result, the user can automate daily menu planning, shopping, refrigerator inventory management, and keeping track of expiration dates, greatly improving the convenience of daily life, reducing stress, and enabling a reduction in food waste.

[0423] "Household electronic devices" is a general term for various electrical and electronic devices used in the home.

[0424] "Managing data" refers to a series of processes that involve organizing, storing, updating, and analyzing collected data.

[0425] "Food expense target amount" refers to the budget amount for food expenses that the user plans to spend during a specific period.

[0426] "Family structure" refers to information about the individual members living in a household, including the number of people and their age ranges.

[0427] "Dietary preferences" refer to the types of food and nutritional imbalances that individual users or families prefer.

[0428] "Means of input" refers to methods or devices that allow users to input data using smartphones, tablets, personal computers, etc.

[0429] "Nutritional balance" is an indicator of whether the combination of nutrients in a meal is ideal for health.

[0430] A "budget-conscious menu" refers to a meal plan that uses ingredients that can be purchased within a set budget.

[0431] A "shopping list" is a list of ingredients and other items needed to make a meal plan a reality.

[0432] "Means of generation" refers to the method or process by which a system creates data using a specific algorithm.

[0433] "Emotional state" refers to the user's psychological and physiological state, and is data analyzed using specific technologies.

[0434] "Optimizing emotional state" refers to suggesting the most suitable menu and ingredients based on the user's current emotions.

[0435] "Receipts and food labels" refer to physical or electronic statements or labels that contain information about purchased items.

[0436] "Means of capturing images" refers to methods and devices for acquiring image data using equipment such as cameras and scanners.

[0437] "Text data" refers to a data format that is recognized as character information and can be used for storage and analysis.

[0438] "Updating a household budget" refers to updating household financial records based on collected expenditure information.

[0439] A "household refrigerator" is a cooling device used to store food and beverages for household use.

[0440] "Inventory information" refers to data about the types and quantities of food and beverages stored in the refrigerator.

[0441] "Expiration date information" refers to data regarding the expiration dates of stored food and beverages.

[0442] "Means of notification" refers to methods or devices for providing information to users.

[0443] "Suggested ingredients" refer to specific ingredients selected by the system and suggested to the user.

[0444] An "e-commerce site" is an online platform for trading goods and services over the internet.

[0445] "Methods of searching" refer to the methods and processes used to find information from a specific database or website.

[0446] "Automating the purchase process" refers to the automated process of ordering goods or services electronically and handling the payment process automatically.

[0447] "Electronic payment" refers to the transfer of funds using electronic means.

[0448] This invention combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients. This system aims to reduce the burden on housewives and working women, while also reducing food waste. The configuration for implementing this system is described in detail below.

[0449] System Configuration

[0450] User terminal

[0451] User terminals include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, and are equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features. Users can use their terminals to input their food budget goals, family structure, dietary preferences, and current emotional state. They also have a function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[0452] server

[0453] The server receives and processes data sent by the user. Specifically, it has the following functions:

[0454] This feature uses an emotion engine to recognize the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions. An emotion recognition API is used for this purpose.

[0455] A function that generates menus and shopping lists that take nutritional balance and budget into consideration, based on the target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, and emotional state.

[0456] A function that uses OCR technology to convert captured images into text data.

[0457] Automatic update function for household budgeting.

[0458] A function that connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[0459] A function that automates search and purchase procedures on e-commerce sites, as well as executes electronic payments.

[0460] Specific examples of the system

[0461] Data entry and transmission

[0462] Users use a smartphone app to input and submit information such as "Target food budget: 50,000 yen," "Family size: 4 people," "Dietary preferences: Japanese food, low fat," and "Emotional state: High stress." This data is received and analyzed on the server side.

[0463] Generating menus and shopping lists

[0464] Based on the received data, the server uses an emotion engine to generate menus such as "steamed fish," "vegetable salad rich in minerals," and "green tea." It also creates a shopping list, such as "fish 500 yen," "vegetables 300 yen," and "green tea 200 yen," and sends it to the user's terminal.

[0465] Photographing and digitizing receipts and food labels

[0466] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using their smartphone camera. The device uses OCR technology to convert the image data into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the received text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[0467] Integration with household refrigerators

[0468] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from the home refrigerator. For example, it might notify the user that "the fish in the refrigerator expires in 3 days" and suggest a recipe using the fish (e.g., "butter-fried fish").

[0469] Automated search and purchase on e-commerce sites

[0470] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The user's terminal is notified of the order details, and the user confirms and makes the electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[0471] Example of a prompt

[0472] "The user has set a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of 4, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat. If the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, generate a menu that is effective in reducing stress (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and send it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list."

[0473] This invention streamlines household operations, reducing user stress and minimizing food waste.

[0474] The flow of the specific processing in Example 2 will be explained using Figure 13.

[0475] Program processing flow and detailed explanation

[0476] Step 1:

[0477] Data entry and transmission

[0478] What the user does:

[0479] Users launch a dedicated application using their smartphone, tablet, or PC and input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[0480] Example input: Target food budget is 50,000 yen, family size is 4 people, dietary preferences are Japanese food and low-fat, emotional state is high stress.

[0481] What the device does:

[0482] The entered data is reviewed and sent to the server.

[0483] Data processing: Format the input data into JSON format or similar.

[0484] Output: The formatted data is sent to the server.

[0485] Step 2:

[0486] Analysis of emotional states and generation of meal plans and shopping lists

[0487] What the server does:

[0488] The system analyzes the received data and uses an emotion engine to recognize the user's emotional state.

[0489] Input: Submitted data (target food budget, family structure, food preferences, emotional state).

[0490] Data processing: Analysis of emotional states using an emotion recognition API.

[0491] Output: Recognized emotional state.

[0492] Based on recognized emotional states, food budget targets, family structure, and dietary preferences, the system generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget.

[0493] Data processing: Selecting appropriate recipes and ingredients.

[0494] Output: Generated menu (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea) and shopping list (e.g., fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen).

[0495] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal.

[0496] Step 3:

[0497] Displaying the menu and shopping list

[0498] What the device does:

[0499] The system receives menus and shopping lists sent from the server and displays them to the user.

[0500] Input: Menu and shopping list sent from the server.

[0501] Output: Menu and shopping list displayed on the application screen.

[0502] Step 4:

[0503] Photographing and digitizing receipts and food labels

[0504] What the user does:

[0505] After shopping, I use my smartphone camera to take pictures of the receipt and food labels.

[0506] Input: Images of receipts or food labels that you have photographed.

[0507] What the device does:

[0508] The captured image is converted into text data using OCR technology.

[0509] Data processing: Image processing and text recognition.

[0510] Output: Converted text data (e.g., Fish 500 yen, Vegetables 300 yen, Green tea 200 yen).

[0511] Send the converted text data to the server.

[0512] Step 5:

[0513] Automatic update of household budget

[0514] What the server does:

[0515] The system analyzes the received text data and updates the household budget information.

[0516] Input: Converted text data.

[0517] Data processing: Expenditure information is updated through analytical processing.

[0518] Output: Updated household budget.

[0519] Step 6:

[0520] Integration with household refrigerators and data acquisition

[0521] What the server does:

[0522] It connects with household refrigerators to periodically acquire inventory and expiration date information.

[0523] Input: Inventory and expiration date information for household refrigerators.

[0524] Data processing: Saving and analyzing inventory and expiration date information in a database.

[0525] Output: Analyzed inventory information and expiration date information.

[0526] Step 7:

[0527] Notifications and recipe suggestions

[0528] What the server does:

[0529] Based on the information obtained from the refrigerator, the system notifies the user's terminal and suggests recipes using ingredients that are nearing their expiration date.

[0530] Input: Refrigerator inventory information and expiration date information.

[0531] Data processing: Selecting recipes that use specific ingredients.

[0532] Output: Notification of suggested recipes (e.g., fish expires in 3 days. Simple recipe using fish: butter-fried fish).

[0533] Step 8:

[0534] Automated search and purchase on e-commerce sites

[0535] What the server does:

[0536] The system automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and initiates the purchase process.

[0537] Input: Suggested list of ingredients.

[0538] Data processing: Automating the process of searching for and purchasing ingredients on an online platform.

[0539] Output: Search results and start of the purchase process.

[0540] The server notifies the user's terminal of the purchase procedure details, and the user confirms and approves them.

[0541] Step 9:

[0542] Electronic payment and delivery

[0543] What the user does:

[0544] Review the purchase procedure details notified by the server and make the electronic payment.

[0545] Input: Details of the purchase (ingredients and price).

[0546] Output: Payment completion notification.

[0547] What the server does:

[0548] After payment is complete, we will proceed with the delivery of the purchased groceries to your home.

[0549] Input: Payment completion information.

[0550] Output: Shipping procedures and shipping notifications.

[0551] Through these steps, users' household management will be automated, resulting in reduced stress and increased efficiency.

[0552] (Application Example 2)

[0553] Next, we will explain application example 2. In the following explanation, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as a "server" and the smart device 14 as a "terminal".

[0554] There is a need to streamline food management, meal planning, and shopping at home, particularly to reduce the burden on housewives and working women. Reducing food waste and improving the accuracy of household budget management are also important issues. Conventional systems lack suggestions that consider the user's emotional state, and therefore do not adequately reduce stress in daily life. Furthermore, the integration of electronic payments and automated purchasing procedures is insufficient, necessitating a new system to address these challenges.

[0555] In Application Example 2, the specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 is realized by the following means. In this invention, the server includes means for managing data from household electronic devices, means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences, means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data, means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal, means for recognizing the user's emotional state and making suggestions based on that emotion, means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data, means for updating the household ledger based on the converted text data, means for cooperating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information, means for notifying the user terminal of the acquired information, means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure, and means for executing electronic payment. This improves the efficiency of household management, reduces user stress, reduces food waste, and improves the accuracy of household budget management.

[0556] The definitions for each important word are as follows:

[0557] "Data from household electronic devices" refers to information and usage data generated and handled by household electronic devices such as home appliances.

[0558] "Food expense target amount" refers to the target amount of money that you plan to spend on purchasing food ingredients within a certain period.

[0559] "Family structure" refers to information indicating the number of people living together in a household and their relationships.

[0560] "Dietary preferences" refer to preference information about the types of ingredients and dishes that individual users like.

[0561] A "menu" is a list of meals planned for a specific period of time.

[0562] A "shopping list" is a list created to purchase necessary groceries and other items.

[0563] A "user terminal" refers to an electronic device used by a user, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.

[0564] "Emotional state" refers to information that indicates the user's psychological and emotional condition.

[0565] "Receipts and food labels" refer to the paper documents issued at the time of purchase that detail the purchase, as well as the labels attached to the food products.

[0566] "Text data" refers to digital data expressed as characters or sentences.

[0567] A "household account book" is a ledger used to record and manage household income and expenses.

[0568] A "household refrigerator" is an electrical appliance used to store food at low temperatures within the home.

[0569] "Inventory information" refers to information about the types and quantities of food stored in a household refrigerator.

[0570] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the date by which each food item can be safely consumed.

[0571] An "e-commerce site" is a website that sells goods and provides services over the internet.

[0572] "Purchase procedure" refers to the process or steps involved in purchasing a product.

[0573] "Electronic payment" refers to a payment method that uses electronic means.

[0574] This invention is a system that combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients, thereby improving the efficiency of household management, reducing user stress, decreasing food waste, and improving the accuracy of household budget management. Specific embodiments of the system are described in detail below.

[0575] System Configuration

[0576] User terminal

[0577] User devices include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, all equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features. Users can use their devices to input their food budget goals, family structure, dietary preferences, and current emotional state. Furthermore, the devices also have the ability to photograph receipts and food labels.

[0578] server

[0579] The server is the main component for achieving the following functions:

[0580] 1. Data Management and Input Interface: Receives and processes data submitted by users regarding food budget targets, family structure, preferences, and emotional state.

[0581] 2. Menu Generation: Based on the target food budget, family structure, preferences, and emotional state, a menu and shopping list are generated that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[0582] 3. Emotion Recognition: Recognizes the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions. Emotion recognition models such as TENSORFLOW® and Keras are used as technologies.

[0583] 4. Image processing and OCR: Convert images of receipts and food labels into text data using OCR technology (such as Google Cloud Vision API).

[0584] 5. Inventory Management: Connects with IoT-enabled household refrigerators to obtain inventory information and expiration date information.

[0585] 6. E-commerce and Payment: The system automatically searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and completes the purchase process. This includes the ability to make electronic payments.

[0586] Household refrigerator

[0587] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[0588] System operation

[0589] Data entry

[0590] Users launch a smartphone application and input their food budget target, family structure, preferences, and emotional state. Emotional state may be captured in real time using the camera and microphone. This data is transmitted to the server through the interface.

[0591] Menu generation

[0592] The server executes an internal algorithm based on the received data to generate appropriate menus and shopping lists. In particular, if the user is experiencing stress, it suggests relaxing ingredients and recipes. The generated data is sent to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[0593] Image processing and household budget updates

[0594] After shopping, users use their device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The server converts this into text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[0595] Refrigerator integration and inventory management

[0596] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This allows for efficient notification to users, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date. In particular, suggestions are tailored to the user's emotional state.

[0597] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0598] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and initiates the purchase process. The user confirms the order details and completes the purchase through electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[0599] Specific example

[0600] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, and the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, the server generates a menu effective for stress reduction (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and sends it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the terminal extracts data such as "fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen" and reflects it in the household budget. By linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "fish expires in 3 days" is notified, the server suggests a simple recipe using the fish. The server searches e-commerce sites to purchase the suggested ingredients and displays the order details on the user's terminal. Once the user confirms and completes payment electronically, the fish and vegetables are delivered to their home.

[0601] Examples of prompts for a generative AI model:

[0602] Please generate a menu based on the user's emotional state. The target food budget is 50,000 yen, the family consists of 4 people, and their preferences are Japanese food and low-fat. The user's emotional state is "high stress." Please provide the suggested menu and shopping list.

[0603] This system will make users' daily lives more efficient and comfortable, and will also contribute to reducing food waste.

[0604] The flow of a specific process in Application Example 2 will be explained using Figure 14.

[0605] Step 1:

[0606] Users launch a smartphone application and input their food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state. Input includes manual input via the device's touchscreen and real-time data acquisition using the camera and microphone. This data is then transmitted to a server.

[0607] (Input) Target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, emotional state

[0608] (Output) User data sent to the server

[0609] Step 2:

[0610] The server generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget based on the received data. It uses an emotion engine to identify the user's emotional state and suggest recipes optimized for that emotion.

[0611] (Input) Target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, emotional state

[0612] (Output) Menu and shopping list

[0613] Step 3:

[0614] The generated menu and shopping list are sent to the user's device and displayed for the user to review. The user then uses this as a reference when shopping.

[0615] (Input) Menu and shopping list

[0616] (Output) Menu and shopping list displayed on the user terminal

[0617] Step 4:

[0618] After shopping, the user uses the device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The device uses OCR technology to convert the captured images into text data and sends that data to the server.

[0619] (Input) Images of receipts or food labels

[0620] (Output) OCR-converted text data

[0621] Step 5:

[0622] The server updates the household budget based on the interview text data. Automated data analysis reflects the price and quantity of purchased groceries in the household budget.

[0623] (Input) OCR-converted text data

[0624] (Output) Updated household account book

[0625] Step 6:

[0626] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. Based on this data, the server sends notifications to user terminals. By receiving notifications about food items nearing their expiration date, users can manage their inventory more efficiently.

[0627] (Input) Inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators

[0628] (Output) Notification to user terminal

[0629] Step 7:

[0630] The server suggests recipes using leftovers based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information. In particular, it sends appropriate cooking methods for foods nearing their expiration date to the user's terminal.

[0631] (Input) Inventory information, expiration date information

[0632] (Output) Proposed recipe

[0633] Step 8:

[0634] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and proceeds with the purchase. The user confirms the order details and completes the purchase by making an electronic payment using their terminal.

[0635] (Input) List of suggested ingredients

[0636] (Output) Purchase procedure completion notice

[0637] The specific processing unit 290 transmits the result of the specific processing to the smart device 14. In the smart device 14, the control unit 46A causes the output device 40 to output the result of the specific processing. The microphone 38B acquires audio indicating user input for the result of the specific processing. The control unit 46A transmits the audio data indicating user input acquired by the microphone 38B to the data processing device 12. In the data processing device 12, the specific processing unit 290 acquires the audio data.

[0638] Data generation model 58 is a so-called generative AI (Artificial Intelligence). An example of data generation model 58 is ChatGPT (registered trademark) (Internet search).<URL: https: / / openai.com / blog / chatgpt> ), Gemini (registered trademark) (Internet search) <url: https: gemini.google.com ?hl="ja">Examples of generative AI include the following. The data generation model 58 is obtained by performing deep learning on a neural network. The data generation model 58 is input with prompts containing instructions, and with inference data such as audio data representing speech, text data representing text, and image data representing images. The data generation model 58 infers from the input inference data according to the instructions indicated by the prompts, and outputs the inference results in data formats such as audio data and text data. Here, inference refers to, for example, analysis, classification, prediction, and / or summarization.

[0639] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which specific processing is performed by the data processing device 12, but the technology of this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the specific processing may also be performed by the smart device 14.

[0640] [Second Embodiment]

[0641] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the data processing system 210 according to the second embodiment.

[0642] As shown in Figure 3, the data processing system 210 includes a data processing device 12 and smart glasses 214. An example of the data processing device 12 is a server.

[0643] The data processing device 12 comprises a computer 22, a database 24, and a communication interface 26. The computer 22 is an example of a "computer" related to the technology of this disclosure. The computer 22 comprises a processor 28, RAM 30, and storage 32. The processor 28, RAM 30, and storage 32 are connected to a bus 34. The database 24 and the communication interface 26 are also connected to the bus 34. The communication interface 26 is connected to a network 54. An example of the network 54 is a WAN (Wide Area Network) and / or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0644] The smart glasses 214 include a computer 36, a microphone 238, a speaker 240, a camera 42, and a communication interface 44. The computer 36 includes a processor 46, RAM 48, and storage 50. The processor 46, RAM 48, and storage 50 are connected to a bus 52. The microphone 238, speaker 240, and camera 42 are also connected to the bus 52.

[0645] The microphone 238 receives voice signals from the user 20 and receives instructions from the user 20. The microphone 238 captures the voice signals from the user 20, converts the captured voice into audio data, and outputs it to the processor 46. The speaker 240 outputs audio according to the instructions from the processor 46.

[0646] Camera 42 is a small digital camera equipped with an optical system including a lens, aperture, and shutter, and an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and captures images of the area around the user 20 (for example, an imaging range defined by a field of view equivalent to the width of a typical healthy person's field of vision).

[0647] Communication interface 44 is connected to network 54. Communication interfaces 44 and 26 are responsible for the exchange of various information between processor 46 and processor 28 via network 54. The exchange of various information between processor 46 and processor 28 using communication interfaces 44 and 26 is performed in a secure manner.

[0648] Figure 4 shows an example of the main functions of the data processing device 12 and the smart glasses 214. As shown in Figure 4, the data processing device 12 performs specific processing using the processor 28. The storage 32 stores the specific processing program 56.

[0649] The specific processing program 56 is an example of a "program" relating to the technology of this disclosure. The processor 28 reads the specific processing program 56 from the storage 32 and executes the read specific processing program 56 on the RAM 30. The specific processing is realized by the processor 28 operating as a specific processing unit 290 in accordance with the specific processing program 56 executed on the RAM 30.

[0650] The storage 32 stores the data generation model 58 and the emotion identification model 59. The data generation model 58 and the emotion identification model 59 are used by the identification processing unit 290.

[0651] In the smart glasses 214, the processor 46 performs the reception output processing. The storage 50 stores the reception output program 60. The processor 46 reads the reception output program 60 from the storage 50 and executes the read reception output program 60 on the RAM 48. The reception output processing is realized by the processor 46 operating as a control unit 46A according to the reception output program 60 executed on the RAM 48.

[0652] Next, the identification processing performed by the identification processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 will be described. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the smart glasses 214 will be referred to as the "terminal".

[0653] This invention relates to a system for managing data from household electronic devices and efficiently managing household operations. The embodiments for implementing this system are described in detail below.

[0654] System Configuration

[0655] 1. User terminal:

[0656] User terminals include interfaces such as smartphones, tablets, and personal computers.

[0657] The user terminal allows users to input information such as their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences.

[0658] You can use the camera function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[0659] 2. Server:

[0660] The server receives and processes data sent from the user's terminal.

[0661] The server generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration, based on the entered data.

[0662] OCR technology is used to convert captured images into text data.

[0663] It has a function to automatically update the household budget.

[0664] It connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[0665] The system searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automates the purchase process.

[0666] Complete your shopping efficiently through electronic payment.

[0667] 3. Household refrigerator:

[0668] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[0669] System operation

[0670] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0671] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using their user terminal. This data is then transmitted to the server via the interface.

[0672] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes.

[0673] Based on the received data, the server uses an algorithm to automatically generate a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[0674] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0675] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using the camera on their device. The device uses OCR technology to convert the images into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[0676] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0677] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This information is efficiently communicated to the user, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date.

[0678] Ingredient information and notifications

[0679] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients nearing their expiration date. This helps reduce food waste and allows for efficient consumption of ingredients. The suggestions are notified to the user's terminal, where the user can review them.

[0680] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0681] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase via electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[0682] Specific example

[0683] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the purchased ingredients and their amounts will be automatically reflected in the household budget.

[0684] Furthermore, through integration with the refrigerator, if information such as "the eggs expire in 3 days" is obtained, the server will suggest recipes using eggs (e.g., omelets) and notify the user. The user can then search for more eggs on an e-commerce site and proceed with the purchase. Once the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[0685] As described above, the present invention improves the efficiency of household management, reduces the burden on housewives and working women, and also has the effect of suppressing food waste.

[0686] The following describes the processing flow.

[0687] System-wide processing steps

[0688] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0689] Step 1:

[0690] The user launches the application on their device and accesses the settings screen.

[0691] Step 2:

[0692] The terminal displays an input form, and the user enters information such as their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences.

[0693] Step 3:

[0694] The user completes the input and presses the "Submit" button.

[0695] Step 4:

[0696] The terminal sends the input data to the server.

[0697] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes.

[0698] Step 1:

[0699] The server receives data sent by the user.

[0700] Step 2:

[0701] Based on the food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences received by the server, an internal algorithm is executed to generate a menu and shopping list that is nutritionally balanced and within budget.

[0702] Step 3:

[0703] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the terminal.

[0704] Step 4:

[0705] The device displays a menu and shopping list to the user.

[0706] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0707] Step 1:

[0708] After shopping, the user takes a picture of the receipt or food label with the device's camera.

[0709] Step 2:

[0710] The device performs OCR processing on the captured image, converting the image data into text data.

[0711] Step 3:

[0712] The terminal sends the converted text data to the server.

[0713] Reflection in household budget

[0714] Step 1:

[0715] The server receives the OCR-processed text data.

[0716] Step 2:

[0717] The server analyzes the received data to identify the purchased items and their prices.

[0718] Step 3:

[0719] The household budget is updated based on the data from which the server was identified.

[0720] Step 4:

[0721] The server sends the updated household budget data to the terminal.

[0722] Step 5:

[0723] The device displays the updated household budget to the user.

[0724] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0725] Step 1:

[0726] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators.

[0727] Step 2:

[0728] The server organizes the data it acquires and manages inventory status and expiration dates.

[0729] Step 3:

[0730] The server notifies users of important inventory and expiration date information.

[0731] Step 4:

[0732] The device displays a notification to the user.

[0733] Ingredient information and notifications

[0734] Step 1:

[0735] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients that are nearing their expiration date.

[0736] Step 2:

[0737] The server sends the proposal to the user's terminal.

[0738] Step 3:

[0739] The device displays suggestions to the user.

[0740] Step 4:

[0741] Users review the suggested recipes and use them as needed.

[0742] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0743] Step 1:

[0744] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites.

[0745] Step 2:

[0746] The server initiates the purchase process based on the search results.

[0747] Step 3:

[0748] The server sends the order details to the user's terminal and prompts the user to confirm the order.

[0749] Step 4:

[0750] The terminal displays the order details to the user and asks for confirmation.

[0751] Step 5:

[0752] The user reviews the order details and confirms the purchase.

[0753] Step 6:

[0754] The user makes a payment using an electronic payment system.

[0755] Step 7:

[0756] The server confirms the completion of the purchase process and arranges for the delivery of the purchased ingredients.

[0757] These detailed processing steps improve the efficiency of household management, reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and help to reduce food waste.

[0758] (Example 1)

[0759] Next, we will describe Example 1. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the smart glasses 214 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[0760] In modern household management, managing food expenses and providing nutritionally balanced meals are crucial challenges. Especially for busy families, shopping, grocery management, and meal planning are cumbersome, leading to increased food waste. Traditional manual methods of updating household budgets, creating meal plans, and generating shopping lists are time-consuming and hinder efficient household management. Furthermore, managing food expiration dates and purchasing necessary ingredients also poses a significant burden. A system is needed to solve these problems and streamline household management.

[0761] The identification process performed by the identification processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Example 1 is realized by the following means.

[0762] In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences using a user terminal; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal; means for photographing receipts and food labels using OCR technology and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household ledger based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information; means for suggesting a specific recipe based on the acquired inventory information and expiration date information and notifying the user terminal; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; and means for displaying the order details to the user terminal and completing the purchase through electronic payment. This streamlines household management, enables effective food expense management and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals, and contributes to reducing food waste.

[0763] A "user terminal" refers to an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer that a user operates.

[0764] "Food expense target amount" is the target amount for food expenses set by the user for a month or a specific period.

[0765] "Family structure" refers to information that shows the number of people in a household and their relationships (adults, children, others).

[0766] "Dietary preferences" refers to information indicating what types of food the user or their family prefers (e.g., Japanese food, low-fat diet, etc.).

[0767] "Nutritional balance" refers to a state in which the nutrients necessary to maintain health are appropriately combined.

[0768] A "menu" is a list of dishes planned for a specific period or meal.

[0769] A "shopping list" is a list of ingredients and products that need to be purchased based on a meal plan.

[0770] "OCR technology" refers to optical character recognition technology, which is a technology that converts characters in an image into digital text.

[0771] A "household account book" is a ledger used to record and manage data on household income and expenses, especially food expenses.

[0772] A "household refrigerator" is a refrigeration device used in a home for storing food.

[0773] "Inventory information" refers to detailed information about the food and ingredients currently stored in the refrigerator.

[0774] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the best-before date or expiration date of food and ingredients in the refrigerator.

[0775] An "e-commerce site" is a website where you can purchase goods via the internet.

[0776] "Electronic payment" refers to a method of payment using digital currency, credit cards, etc., through online purchase procedures.

[0777] This invention relates to a system for managing household food expenses and providing nutritionally balanced meal plans. This system combines a user terminal, a server, and a household refrigerator, and through the roles and coordination of each component, it streamlines household operations.

[0778] First, users input their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences using a user device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This data is then transmitted from the user device to the server. The hardware used includes smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. Specific software examples include user input applications and web browsers.

[0779] Next, the server uses an AI algorithm to generate a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget based on the received data. A generative AI model is used for this process. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[0780] After shopping, users use their device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The device uses OCR technology to convert the captured images into text data and sends this data to a server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget. The software used includes an OCR engine and a server-side analysis program.

[0781] Furthermore, the server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. Based on this information, it suggests specific recipes for foods nearing their expiration date and notifies the user's terminal. This helps reduce food waste and allows for efficient consumption of ingredients. IoT technology is used for communication between the refrigerator and the server.

[0782] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase through electronic payment. Through this entire process, the necessary ingredients are delivered to the user's home without any hassle.

[0783] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the purchased ingredients and their amounts are automatically reflected in the household budget. Furthermore, by linking with the refrigerator, if the server receives information such as "the eggs expire in three days," it will suggest an egg-based recipe (e.g., omelet) and notify the user. Subsequently, the process of purchasing eggs from an e-commerce site begins, and after the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[0784] An example of a specific prompt for the generating AI model would be: "Please generate a nutritionally balanced menu and shopping list, assuming a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of 4 people, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat."

[0785] As described above, the system of the present invention streamlines household operations and supports the management of food expenses and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals.

[0786] The flow of the specific processing in Example 1 will be explained using Figure 11.

[0787] Step 1:

[0788] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0789] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using their own devices such as smartphones, tablets, or personal computers. This input data includes the food budget target (e.g., 50,000 yen), family structure (e.g., 2 adults, 2 children), and dietary preferences (e.g., Japanese food, low-fat). This data is then transmitted from the user's device to the server.

[0790] Specific operation: When the user opens the app, enters their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences in the settings screen, and presses the save button, the device sends the data to the server.

[0791] Step 2:

[0792] Generating menus and shopping lists

[0793] The server receives data sent from the user. Based on the received data, an AI algorithm generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration. Input data includes the user's target budget, family structure, and preferences. Output data includes a menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list.

[0794] Specific operation: The server's AI model processes incoming data, generates nutritionally balanced meal plans and shopping lists tailored to each household's settings, and saves the results to a database.

[0795] Step 3:

[0796] Sending a menu and shopping list

[0797] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal. The input is the menu and shopping list generated by the AI ​​algorithm, and the output is the menu sent to the user's terminal.

[0798] Specific operation: The server encodes the generated menu and shopping list in JSON format and sends it to the user's terminal.

[0799] Step 4:

[0800] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0801] After shopping, the user uses the device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The input data is the captured images, and the output data is the purchase information extracted in text format.

[0802] Specific operation: After the user finishes shopping, they open the app, tap the camera icon, and take a picture of the receipt. The device then uses OCR technology to convert the image into text data and sends it to the server.

[0803] Step 5:

[0804] Updating the household budget

[0805] The server analyzes the received text data and automatically updates the household budget ledger. The input data is text information converted by OCR (e.g., "Eggs 200 yen", "Milk 150 yen"), and the output data is the updated household budget ledger information.

[0806] Specific operation: The server parses the text data and updates the household budget database by adding the purchase items and amounts.

[0807] Step 6:

[0808] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0809] The server interacts with a household refrigerator to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. The input data consists of inventory information obtained from the refrigerator (e.g., "3 eggs in stock," "3 days until expiration"), while the output data is information stored in the inventory database.

[0810] Specific operation: The server retrieves refrigerator data via API at regular intervals and saves inventory information and expiration date information to a database.

[0811] Step 7:

[0812] Notifications and recipe suggestions for food nearing its expiration date.

[0813] The server suggests a specific recipe based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information and notifies the user terminal. The input data is the expiration date information obtained from the refrigerator, and the output data is the recipe suggestion sent to the user terminal.

[0814] Specific operation: Based on the information that "the eggs are nearing their expiration date," the server generates a recipe using eggs (e.g., omelet) and notifies the user's terminal.

[0815] Step 8:

[0816] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0817] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The input data is a list of suggested ingredients, and the output data is the order details displayed on the user's terminal.

[0818] Specific operation: The server uses "egg" as a keyword to call an e-commerce API, searches for the most suitable product, generates an order, and sends it to the user's terminal.

[0819] Step 9:

[0820] Order confirmation and electronic payment

[0821] The user confirms the purchase details via the terminal and completes the purchase through electronic payment. The input data is the order details, and the output data is the completed electronic payment information.

[0822] Specific operation: The user reviews the received order details in the app and taps the bulk payment button. The purchased groceries are then delivered to their home.

[0823] Through the processing steps described above, the system of the present invention streamlines household management and supports the management of food expenses and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals.

[0824] (Application Example 1)

[0825] Next, we will explain Application Example 1. In the following explanation, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the smart glasses 214 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[0826] It is difficult for households to efficiently purchase groceries, maintain proper food budgeting and nutritional balance, and automatically update household accounts. In particular, there is a lack of a system that centrally manages food expiration dates, meal planning, and electronic payment processes. As a result, food waste and unnecessary spending increase, leading to inefficient household management.

[0827] The specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Application Example 1 is realized by the following means.

[0828] In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to a user terminal; means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household budget based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to obtain inventory information and expiration date information; means for notifying the user terminal of the obtained information; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; means for executing electronic payment; and means for the user terminal to perform ingredient search, order notification, automatic purchase procedure, and electronic payment process. This enables centralized management of household food expenses, menu planning, ingredient purchase, household budget updates, expiration date management, and even electronic payment, allowing for efficient household management.

[0829] "Household electronic devices" refers to all electronic devices used within the home.

[0830] A "data management system" refers to a mechanism that efficiently processes, stores, and utilizes information obtained from users.

[0831] A "food expense target amount" is a set amount that sets an upper limit on food expenses within a specific period.

[0832] "Family structure" refers to the number and relationships of individual members belonging to the same household.

[0833] "Dietary preferences" refer to the types and characteristics of food that individual users or families prefer.

[0834] "Nutritional balance" refers to a state in which the nutrients necessary for maintaining health are appropriately distributed.

[0835] A "budget" is a plan or constraint on income and expenditures over a specific period.

[0836] A "menu" refers to a set of meal options for a specific period of time.

[0837] A "shopping list" refers to a list of necessary items or ingredients.

[0838] "User terminal" refers to all devices that a user uses to interface with a system.

[0839] A "receipt" refers to a paper or digital record that details the items purchased and their prices.

[0840] A "food label" is a label that contains information about food products, such as ingredients and expiration dates.

[0841] "Methods for converting images into text data" refers to technologies that analyze textual information within an image and convert it into electronic text.

[0842] "A means of updating a household budget" refers to a function for keeping household income and expenditure information up-to-date.

[0843] A "household refrigerator" is a cooling device used for food storage in a home.

[0844] "Inventory information" refers to information about the quantity and condition of goods and food items currently in stock.

[0845] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the date by which food or products can be safely consumed.

[0846] "Means of notification" refer to the technologies and processes used to convey information to users.

[0847] An "e-commerce site" is a website where goods and services are bought and sold online.

[0848] "Methods for automating the purchase process" refer to systems that automatically handle the entire process from selecting products, placing orders, and making payments.

[0849] "Electronic payment" refers to a method of making payments using digital technology.

[0850] This invention relates to a system for efficiently managing data from household electronic devices and supporting household operations. This system has the following configuration and operating procedure.

[0851] System Configuration

[0852] 1. User terminal:

[0853] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using devices such as smartphones or smart glasses.

[0854] It has a camera function for taking pictures of receipts and food labels.

[0855] 2. Server:

[0856] Based on the entered data, the system generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[0857] Using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, images are converted into text data, and the household budget is automatically updated.

[0858] It integrates with the IoT (Internet of Things) functionality of household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[0859] The system searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automates the purchase process.

[0860] Complete your purchase quickly through electronic payment.

[0861] 3. Household refrigerator:

[0862] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that can store and transmit inventory and expiration date information to a server.

[0863] Data handling and processing

[0864] User terminal:

[0865] The user terminal is used to input their target food budget, family composition, and dietary preferences.

[0866] Users take photos of receipts or food labels and send the image data to the server.

[0867] server:

[0868] The system receives data sent from the user's terminal, uses an algorithm to generate a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget, and sends them back to the user's terminal.

[0869] Using OCR technology such as Pytesseract, image data is converted into text data. Then, the household budget is automatically updated.

[0870] The system periodically communicates with household refrigerators to obtain information on the contents and expiration dates. If necessary, it suggests specific recipes to reduce food waste and notifies the user's device.

[0871] The system uses e-commerce site APIs to search for suggested ingredients, presents the results in a user-friendly format, and automates the purchase process.

[0872] The payment process is expedited through the electronic payment API.

[0873] Specific example:

[0874] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of "Japanese food" and "low-fat," the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. After the user takes a picture of the receipt, the purchased ingredients and their amounts are automatically reflected in the household budget. Furthermore, by linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "the eggs expire in three days" is obtained, the server will suggest an egg-based recipe (e.g., omelet) and notify the user. The user can then search for more eggs on an e-commerce site and proceed with the purchase. Once the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[0875] Example of a prompt:

[0876] "Please suggest a Japanese meal menu for a family of four with a budget of 50,000 yen. We are limiting our preference to low-fat options. Please also generate a shopping list."

[0877] The flow of a specific process in Application Example 1 will be explained using Figure 12.

[0878] Step 1:

[0879] Users enter their target food budget, family size, and dietary preferences.

[0880] Users input their food budget target, family size, and dietary preferences using a smartphone or smart glasses. The system then retrieves the information the user needs. The entered data is sent to a server and stored in a database.

[0881] Input: Target amount for food expenses, family structure, dietary preferences

[0882] Output: Sending user data to the server

[0883] Step 2:

[0884] The server generates a menu and shopping list.

[0885] The server executes an algorithm to generate a meal plan and shopping list that takes into account nutritional balance and budget, based on the received food budget target, family size, and dietary preferences. This creates a meal plan and shopping list that is optimal for each household.

[0886] Input: User data (target food expenditure, family structure, dietary preferences)

[0887] Output: Menu and shopping list

[0888] Step 3:

[0889] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal.

[0890] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal. The user can then view this information on their smartphone or smart glasses.

[0891] Input: Menu and shopping list

[0892] Output: Sending data to the user terminal

[0893] Step 4:

[0894] Users take photos of receipts or food labels.

[0895] The user takes a picture of the receipt or food label of the purchased groceries using the camera on their smartphone or smart glasses. The captured image is sent to the server.

[0896] Input: Images of receipts or food labels

[0897] Output: Sending image data to the server

[0898] Step 5:

[0899] The server uses OCR technology to convert the image into text data.

[0900] The server uses OCR technology such as Pytesseract to analyze the received images and convert them into text data. The analyzed information is automatically reflected in the household budgeting system.

[0901] Input: Image data of receipts or food labels

[0902] Output: Text data and updated household ledger

[0903] Step 6:

[0904] The server connects with household refrigerators to retrieve inventory and expiration date information.

[0905] The server periodically acquires inventory and expiration date information through the IoT functionality of household refrigerators. The acquired data is stored on the server, and inventory and expiration date information is managed there.

[0906] Input: Inventory information and expiration date information in the refrigerator

[0907] Output: Updated inventory and expiration date information

[0908] Step 7:

[0909] The server suggests a specific recipe based on the information it has acquired and notifies the user's terminal.

[0910] The server generates recipes using food items that are nearing their expiration date, based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information. The generated recipes are then sent to the user's terminal.

[0911] Input: Updated inventory information and expiration date information

[0912] Output: Recipe and notification to user terminal

[0913] Step 8:

[0914] The server automatically searches for ingredients on e-commerce sites and processes the purchase.

[0915] The server automatically searches e-commerce sites based on the generated shopping list. The suggested ingredients are purchased online, and the user only needs to review and approve the order.

[0916] Input: Shopping list

[0917] Output: Online purchase procedure and purchase confirmation notification to the user's terminal.

[0918] Step 9:

[0919] The server executes the electronic payment.

[0920] The server uses an electronic payment API to quickly complete the payment for the purchase. Information about the completed purchase is then sent to the user's device.

[0921] Input: Purchase details

[0922] Output: Electronic payment completion notification and payment confirmation

[0923] Furthermore, an emotion engine that estimates the user's emotions may be incorporated. That is, the identification processing unit 290 may use the emotion identification model 59 to estimate the user's emotions and perform identification processing using the user's emotions.

[0924] This invention relates to a system that combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients, thereby reducing the burden on housewives and working women, and decreasing food waste. The configuration for implementing this system is described in detail below.

[0925] System Configuration

[0926] 1. User terminal:

[0927] User devices include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, and are equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features.

[0928] Users can use their device to input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[0929] It has a function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[0930] 2. Server:

[0931] The server receives and processes data sent by the user.

[0932] Based on your food budget target, family size, dietary preferences, and emotional state, the system generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget.

[0933] It has the ability to recognize the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions using an emotion engine.

[0934] OCR technology is used to convert captured images into text data.

[0935] It has an automatic household budget update function.

[0936] It connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[0937] Automate search and purchase procedures, as well as electronic payment, on e-commerce websites.

[0938] 3. Household refrigerator:

[0939] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[0940] System operation

[0941] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0942] Users input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state using their user device. Emotional state may also be captured in real time using the device's camera and microphone. This data is transmitted to the server through the interface.

[0943] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes, with emotional adaptation.

[0944] The server runs an internal algorithm based on the received food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state to generate a menu and shopping list. In particular, it takes the user's emotional state into consideration; for example, if the user is feeling stressed, it suggests ingredients and recipes with relaxing effects. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[0945] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0946] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using the camera on their device. The device uses OCR technology to convert the images into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[0947] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0948] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This information is efficiently communicated to the user, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date. The system also provides suggestions tailored to the user's emotional state.

[0949] Ingredient information and notifications

[0950] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients nearing their expiration date. Based on an emotion engine, for example, if the user is tired, it will suggest easy-to-prepare and nutritious meals. The suggestions are notified to the user's terminal, and the user can check them.

[0951] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[0952] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase via electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[0953] Specific example

[0954] If a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, and the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, the server generates a menu that is effective in reducing stress (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and sends it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list.

[0955] When a user takes a picture of their receipt after shopping, the device extracts data such as "Fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen" and reflects it in their household budget. By linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "the fish expires in 3 days" is notified, the server will suggest a simple recipe using the fish.

[0956] The server searches e-commerce sites to purchase additional suggested ingredients and displays the order details on the user's terminal. Once the user confirms and completes payment electronically, the fish and vegetables are delivered to their home.

[0957] This improves the efficiency of household management, reduces user stress, and minimizes food waste.

[0958] The following describes the processing flow.

[0959] System-wide processing steps

[0960] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[0961] Step 1:

[0962] The user launches the application on their device and accesses the settings screen.

[0963] Step 2:

[0964] Following the input form displayed on the device, the user enters their target food budget, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[0965] Step 3:

[0966] The user completes the input and presses the "Submit" button.

[0967] Step 4:

[0968] The terminal sends the input data to the server.

[0969] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes, with emotional adaptation.

[0970] Step 1:

[0971] The server receives data sent by the user.

[0972] Step 2:

[0973] The server uses an emotion engine to determine the user's emotional state.

[0974] Step 3:

[0975] Based on the food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state received by the server, it generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[0976] Step 4:

[0977] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the terminal.

[0978] Step 5:

[0979] The device displays a menu and shopping list to the user.

[0980] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[0981] Step 1:

[0982] After shopping, the user takes a picture of the receipt or food label with the device's camera.

[0983] Step 2:

[0984] The device performs OCR processing on the captured image, converting the image data into text data.

[0985] Step 3:

[0986] The terminal sends the converted text data to the server.

[0987] Reflection in household budget

[0988] Step 1:

[0989] The server receives the OCR-processed text data.

[0990] Step 2:

[0991] The server analyzes the received data to identify the purchased items and their prices.

[0992] Step 3:

[0993] The household budget is updated based on the data from which the server was identified.

[0994] Step 4:

[0995] The server sends the updated household budget data to the terminal.

[0996] Step 5:

[0997] The device displays the updated household budget to the user.

[0998] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[0999] Step 1:

[1000] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators.

[1001] Step 2:

[1002] The server organizes the data it acquires and manages inventory status and expiration dates.

[1003] Step 3:

[1004] The server notifies the user's terminal of information about food items nearing their expiration date, along with related recipes.

[1005] Step 4:

[1006] The device displays a notification to the user.

[1007] Ingredient information and notifications

[1008] Step 1:

[1009] The server uses an emotion engine to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients that are nearing their expiration date, based on the user's emotional state and refrigerator inventory data.

[1010] Step 2:

[1011] The server sends the proposal to the user's terminal.

[1012] Step 3:

[1013] The device displays suggestions to the user.

[1014] Step 4:

[1015] Users review the suggested recipes and use them as needed.

[1016] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1017] Step 1:

[1018] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites.

[1019] Step 2:

[1020] The server initiates the purchase process based on the search results.

[1021] Step 3:

[1022] The server sends the order details to the user's terminal and prompts the user to confirm the order.

[1023] Step 4:

[1024] The terminal displays the order details to the user and asks for confirmation.

[1025] Step 5:

[1026] The user reviews the order details and confirms the purchase.

[1027] Step 6:

[1028] The user makes a payment using an electronic payment system.

[1029] Step 7:

[1030] The server confirms the completion of the purchase process and arranges for the delivery of the purchased ingredients.

[1031] These detailed processing steps reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and streamline household management. Furthermore, by combining this with an emotion engine, flexible and optimal suggestions tailored to the user's emotional state become possible, providing even greater convenience and satisfaction.

[1032] (Example 2)

[1033] Next, we will describe Example 2. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the smart glasses 214 will be referred to as the "terminal".

[1034] In modern households, managing family meals and saving on food costs are challenges that require considerable effort and time. For working women and housewives in particular, planning daily menus, shopping, and preventing food waste are major sources of stress. Furthermore, while choosing meals based on one's emotional state is important, a system to achieve this does not yet exist. In addition, conventional systems are insufficient for tasks such as managing refrigerator inventory, tracking expiration dates, and automatically generating shopping lists.

[1035] The identification processing by the identification processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Example 2 is realized by the following means. In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences; means for generating a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal; means for recognizing emotional states and optimizing the menu and shopping list based on those states; means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household ledger based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information; means for notifying the user terminal of the acquired information; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; and means for executing electronic payment. As a result, the user can automate daily menu planning, shopping, refrigerator inventory management, and keeping track of expiration dates, greatly improving the convenience of daily life, reducing stress, and enabling a reduction in food waste.

[1036] "Household electronic devices" is a general term for various electrical and electronic devices used in the home.

[1037] "Managing data" refers to a series of processes that involve organizing, storing, updating, and analyzing collected data.

[1038] "Food expense target amount" refers to the budget amount for food expenses that the user plans to spend during a specific period.

[1039] "Family structure" refers to information about the individual members living in a household, including the number of people and their age ranges.

[1040] "Dietary preferences" refer to the types of food and nutritional imbalances that individual users or families prefer.

[1041] "Means of input" refers to methods or devices that allow users to input data using smartphones, tablets, personal computers, etc.

[1042] "Nutritional balance" is an indicator of whether the combination of nutrients in a meal is ideal for health.

[1043] A "budget-conscious menu" refers to a meal plan that uses ingredients that can be purchased within a set budget.

[1044] A "shopping list" is a list of ingredients and other items needed to make a meal plan a reality.

[1045] "Means of generation" refers to the method or process by which a system creates data using a specific algorithm.

[1046] "Emotional state" refers to the user's psychological and physiological state, and is data analyzed using specific technologies.

[1047] "Optimizing emotional state" refers to suggesting the most suitable menu and ingredients based on the user's current emotions.

[1048] "Receipts and food labels" refer to physical or electronic statements or labels that contain information about purchased items.

[1049] "Means of capturing images" refers to methods and devices for acquiring image data using equipment such as cameras and scanners.

[1050] "Text data" refers to a data format that is recognized as character information and can be used for storage and analysis.

[1051] "Updating a household budget" refers to updating household financial records based on collected expenditure information.

[1052] A "household refrigerator" is a cooling device used to store food and beverages for household use.

[1053] "Inventory information" refers to data about the types and quantities of food and beverages stored in the refrigerator.

[1054] "Expiration date information" refers to data regarding the expiration dates of stored food and beverages.

[1055] "Means of notification" refers to methods or devices for providing information to users.

[1056] "Suggested ingredients" refer to specific ingredients selected by the system and suggested to the user.

[1057] An "e-commerce site" is an online platform for trading goods and services over the internet.

[1058] "Methods of searching" refer to the methods and processes used to find information from a specific database or website.

[1059] "Automating the purchase process" refers to the automated process of ordering goods or services electronically and handling the payment process automatically.

[1060] "Electronic payment" refers to the transfer of funds using electronic means.

[1061] This invention combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients. This system aims to reduce the burden on housewives and working women, while also reducing food waste. The configuration for implementing this system is described in detail below.

[1062] System Configuration

[1063] User terminal

[1064] User terminals include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, and are equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features. Users can use their terminals to input their food budget goals, family structure, dietary preferences, and current emotional state. They also have a function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[1065] server

[1066] The server receives and processes data sent by the user. Specifically, it has the following functions:

[1067] This feature uses an emotion engine to recognize the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions. An emotion recognition API is used for this purpose.

[1068] A function that generates menus and shopping lists that take nutritional balance and budget into consideration, based on the target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, and emotional state.

[1069] A function that uses OCR technology to convert captured images into text data.

[1070] Automatic update function for household budgeting.

[1071] A function that connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[1072] A function that automates search and purchase procedures on e-commerce sites, as well as executes electronic payments.

[1073] Specific examples of the system

[1074] Data entry and transmission

[1075] Users use a smartphone app to input and submit information such as "Target food budget: 50,000 yen," "Family size: 4 people," "Dietary preferences: Japanese food, low fat," and "Emotional state: High stress." This data is received and analyzed on the server side.

[1076] Generating menus and shopping lists

[1077] Based on the received data, the server uses an emotion engine to generate menus such as "steamed fish," "vegetable salad rich in minerals," and "green tea." It also creates a shopping list, such as "fish 500 yen," "vegetables 300 yen," and "green tea 200 yen," and sends it to the user's terminal.

[1078] Photographing and digitizing receipts and food labels

[1079] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using their smartphone camera. The device uses OCR technology to convert the image data into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the received text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[1080] Integration with household refrigerators

[1081] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from the home refrigerator. For example, it might notify the user that "the fish in the refrigerator expires in 3 days" and suggest a recipe using the fish (e.g., "butter-fried fish").

[1082] Automated search and purchase on e-commerce sites

[1083] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The user's terminal is notified of the order details, and the user confirms and makes the electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[1084] Example of a prompt

[1085] "The user has set a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of 4, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat. If the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, generate a menu that is effective in reducing stress (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and send it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list."

[1086] This invention streamlines household operations, reducing user stress and minimizing food waste.

[1087] The flow of the specific processing in Example 2 will be explained using Figure 13.

[1088] Program processing flow and detailed explanation

[1089] Step 1:

[1090] Data entry and transmission

[1091] What the user does:

[1092] Users launch a dedicated application using their smartphone, tablet, or PC and input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[1093] Example input: Target food budget is 50,000 yen, family size is 4 people, dietary preferences are Japanese food and low-fat, emotional state is high stress.

[1094] What the device does:

[1095] The entered data is reviewed and sent to the server.

[1096] Data processing: Format the input data into JSON format or similar.

[1097] Output: The formatted data is sent to the server.

[1098] Step 2:

[1099] Analysis of emotional states and generation of meal plans and shopping lists

[1100] What the server does:

[1101] The system analyzes the received data and uses an emotion engine to recognize the user's emotional state.

[1102] Input: Submitted data (target food budget, family structure, food preferences, emotional state).

[1103] Data processing: Analysis of emotional states using an emotion recognition API.

[1104] Output: Recognized emotional state.

[1105] Based on recognized emotional states, food budget targets, family structure, and dietary preferences, the system generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget.

[1106] Data processing: Selecting appropriate recipes and ingredients.

[1107] Output: Generated menu (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea) and shopping list (e.g., fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen).

[1108] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal.

[1109] Step 3:

[1110] Displaying the menu and shopping list

[1111] What the device does:

[1112] The system receives menus and shopping lists sent from the server and displays them to the user.

[1113] Input: Menu and shopping list sent from the server.

[1114] Output: Menu and shopping list displayed on the application screen.

[1115] Step 4:

[1116] Photographing and digitizing receipts and food labels

[1117] What the user does:

[1118] After shopping, I use my smartphone camera to take pictures of the receipt and food labels.

[1119] Input: Images of receipts or food labels that you have photographed.

[1120] What the device does:

[1121] The captured image is converted into text data using OCR technology.

[1122] Data processing: Image processing and text recognition.

[1123] Output: Converted text data (e.g., Fish 500 yen, Vegetables 300 yen, Green tea 200 yen).

[1124] Send the converted text data to the server.

[1125] Step 5:

[1126] Automatic update of household budget

[1127] What the server does:

[1128] The system analyzes the received text data and updates the household budget information.

[1129] Input: Converted text data.

[1130] Data processing: Expenditure information is updated through analytical processing.

[1131] Output: Updated household budget.

[1132] Step 6:

[1133] Integration with household refrigerators and data acquisition

[1134] What the server does:

[1135] It connects with household refrigerators to periodically acquire inventory and expiration date information.

[1136] Input: Inventory and expiration date information for household refrigerators.

[1137] Data processing: Saving and analyzing inventory and expiration date information in a database.

[1138] Output: Analyzed inventory information and expiration date information.

[1139] Step 7:

[1140] Notifications and recipe suggestions

[1141] What the server does:

[1142] Based on the information obtained from the refrigerator, the system notifies the user's terminal and suggests recipes using ingredients that are nearing their expiration date.

[1143] Input: Refrigerator inventory information and expiration date information.

[1144] Data processing: Selecting recipes that use specific ingredients.

[1145] Output: Notification of suggested recipes (e.g., fish expires in 3 days. Simple recipe using fish: butter-fried fish).

[1146] Step 8:

[1147] Automated search and purchase on e-commerce sites

[1148] What the server does:

[1149] The system automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and initiates the purchase process.

[1150] Input: Suggested list of ingredients.

[1151] Data processing: Automating the process of searching for and purchasing ingredients on an online platform.

[1152] Output: Search results and start of the purchase process.

[1153] The server notifies the user's terminal of the purchase procedure details, and the user confirms and approves them.

[1154] Step 9:

[1155] Electronic payment and delivery

[1156] What the user does:

[1157] Review the purchase procedure details notified by the server and make the electronic payment.

[1158] Input: Details of the purchase (ingredients and price).

[1159] Output: Payment completion notification.

[1160] What the server does:

[1161] After payment is complete, we will proceed with the delivery of the purchased groceries to your home.

[1162] Input: Payment completion information.

[1163] Output: Shipping procedures and shipping notifications.

[1164] Through these steps, users' household management will be automated, resulting in reduced stress and increased efficiency.

[1165] (Application Example 2)

[1166] Next, we will explain application example 2. In the following explanation, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the smart glasses 214 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[1167] There is a need to streamline food management, meal planning, and shopping at home, particularly to reduce the burden on housewives and working women. Reducing food waste and improving the accuracy of household budget management are also important issues. Conventional systems lack suggestions that consider the user's emotional state, and therefore do not adequately reduce stress in daily life. Furthermore, the integration of electronic payments and automated purchasing procedures is insufficient, necessitating a new system to address these challenges.

[1168] In Application Example 2, the specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 is realized by the following means. In this invention, the server includes means for managing data from household electronic devices, means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences, means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data, means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal, means for recognizing the user's emotional state and making suggestions based on that emotion, means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data, means for updating the household ledger based on the converted text data, means for cooperating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information, means for notifying the user terminal of the acquired information, means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure, and means for executing electronic payment. This improves the efficiency of household management, reduces user stress, reduces food waste, and improves the accuracy of household budget management.

[1169] The definitions for each important word are as follows:

[1170] "Data from household electronic devices" refers to information and usage data generated and handled by household electronic devices such as home appliances.

[1171] "Food expense target amount" refers to the target amount of money that you plan to spend on purchasing food ingredients within a certain period.

[1172] "Family structure" refers to information indicating the number of people living together in a household and their relationships.

[1173] "Dietary preferences" refer to preference information about the types of ingredients and dishes that individual users like.

[1174] A "menu" is a list of meals planned for a specific period of time.

[1175] A "shopping list" is a list created to purchase necessary groceries and other items.

[1176] A "user terminal" refers to an electronic device used by a user, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.

[1177] "Emotional state" refers to information that indicates the user's psychological and emotional condition.

[1178] "Receipts and food labels" refer to the paper documents issued at the time of purchase that detail the purchase, as well as the labels attached to the food products.

[1179] "Text data" refers to digital data expressed as characters or sentences.

[1180] A "household account book" is a ledger used to record and manage household income and expenses.

[1181] A "household refrigerator" is an electrical appliance used to store food at low temperatures within the home.

[1182] "Inventory information" refers to information about the types and quantities of food stored in a household refrigerator.

[1183] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the date by which each food item can be safely consumed.

[1184] An "e-commerce site" is a website that sells goods and provides services over the internet.

[1185] "Purchase procedure" refers to the process or steps involved in purchasing a product.

[1186] "Electronic payment" refers to a payment method that uses electronic means.

[1187] This invention is a system that combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients, thereby improving the efficiency of household management, reducing user stress, decreasing food waste, and improving the accuracy of household budget management. Specific embodiments of the system are described in detail below.

[1188] System Configuration

[1189] User terminal

[1190] User devices include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, all equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features. Users can use their devices to input their food budget goals, family structure, dietary preferences, and current emotional state. Furthermore, the devices also have the ability to photograph receipts and food labels.

[1191] server

[1192] The server is the main component for achieving the following functions:

[1193] 1. Data Management and Input Interface: Receives and processes data submitted by users regarding food budget targets, family structure, preferences, and emotional state.

[1194] 2. Menu Generation: Based on the target food budget, family structure, preferences, and emotional state, a menu and shopping list are generated that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[1195] 3. Emotion Recognition: Recognizes the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions. Emotion recognition models such as TensorFlow and Keras are used as technologies.

[1196] 4. Image processing and OCR: Convert images of receipts and food labels into text data using OCR technology (such as Google Cloud Vision API).

[1197] 5. Inventory Management: Connects with IoT-enabled household refrigerators to obtain inventory information and expiration date information.

[1198] 6. E-commerce and Payment: The system automatically searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and completes the purchase process. This includes the ability to make electronic payments.

[1199] Household refrigerator

[1200] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[1201] System operation

[1202] Data entry

[1203] Users launch a smartphone application and input their food budget target, family structure, preferences, and emotional state. Emotional state may be captured in real time using the camera and microphone. This data is transmitted to the server through the interface.

[1204] Menu generation

[1205] The server executes an internal algorithm based on the received data to generate appropriate menus and shopping lists. In particular, if the user is experiencing stress, it suggests relaxing ingredients and recipes. The generated data is sent to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[1206] Image processing and household budget updates

[1207] After shopping, users use their device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The server converts this into text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[1208] Refrigerator integration and inventory management

[1209] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This allows for efficient notification to users, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date. In particular, suggestions are tailored to the user's emotional state.

[1210] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1211] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and initiates the purchase process. The user confirms the order details and completes the purchase through electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[1212] Specific example

[1213] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, and the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, the server generates a menu effective for stress reduction (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and sends it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the terminal extracts data such as "fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen" and reflects it in the household budget. By linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "fish expires in 3 days" is notified, the server suggests a simple recipe using the fish. The server searches e-commerce sites to purchase the suggested ingredients and displays the order details on the user's terminal. Once the user confirms and completes payment electronically, the fish and vegetables are delivered to their home.

[1214] Examples of prompts for a generative AI model:

[1215] Please generate a menu based on the user's emotional state. The target food budget is 50,000 yen, the family consists of 4 people, and their preferences are Japanese food and low-fat. The user's emotional state is "high stress." Please provide the suggested menu and shopping list.

[1216] This system will make users' daily lives more efficient and comfortable, and will also contribute to reducing food waste.

[1217] The flow of a specific process in Application Example 2 will be explained using Figure 14.

[1218] Step 1:

[1219] Users launch a smartphone application and input their food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state. Input includes manual input via the device's touchscreen and real-time data acquisition using the camera and microphone. This data is then transmitted to a server.

[1220] (Input) Target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, emotional state

[1221] (Output) User data sent to the server

[1222] Step 2:

[1223] The server generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget based on the received data. It uses an emotion engine to identify the user's emotional state and suggest recipes optimized for that emotion.

[1224] (Input) Target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, emotional state

[1225] (Output) Menu and shopping list

[1226] Step 3:

[1227] The generated menu and shopping list are sent to the user's device and displayed for the user to review. The user then uses this as a reference when shopping.

[1228] (Input) Menu and shopping list

[1229] (Output) Menu and shopping list displayed on the user terminal

[1230] Step 4:

[1231] After shopping, the user uses the device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The device uses OCR technology to convert the captured images into text data and sends that data to the server.

[1232] (Input) Images of receipts or food labels

[1233] (Output) OCR-converted text data

[1234] Step 5:

[1235] The server updates the household budget based on the interview text data. Automated data analysis reflects the price and quantity of purchased groceries in the household budget.

[1236] (Input) OCR-converted text data

[1237] (Output) Updated household account book

[1238] Step 6:

[1239] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. Based on this data, the server sends notifications to user terminals. By receiving notifications about food items nearing their expiration date, users can manage their inventory more efficiently.

[1240] (Input) Inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators

[1241] (Output) Notification to user terminal

[1242] Step 7:

[1243] The server suggests recipes using leftovers based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information. In particular, it sends appropriate cooking methods for foods nearing their expiration date to the user's terminal.

[1244] (Input) Inventory information, expiration date information

[1245] (Output) Proposed recipe

[1246] Step 8:

[1247] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and proceeds with the purchase. The user confirms the order details and completes the purchase by making an electronic payment using their terminal.

[1248] (Input) List of suggested ingredients

[1249] (Output) Purchase procedure completion notice

[1250] The specific processing unit 290 transmits the result of the specific processing to the smart glasses 214. In the smart glasses 214, the control unit 46A causes the speaker 240 to output the result of the specific processing. The microphone 238 acquires audio indicating user input for the result of the specific processing. The control unit 46A transmits the audio data indicating user input acquired by the microphone 238 to the data processing unit 12. In the data processing unit 12, the specific processing unit 290 acquires the audio data.

[1251] The data generation model 58 is a type of so-called generative AI (Artificial Intelligence). One example of the data generation model 58 is ChatGPT (Internet Search).<URL: https: / / openai.com / blog / chatgpt> ), Gemini (Internet search) <url: https: gemini.google.com ?hl="ja">Examples of generative AI include the following. The data generation model 58 is obtained by performing deep learning on a neural network. The data generation model 58 is input with prompts containing instructions, and with inference data such as audio data representing speech, text data representing text, and image data representing images. The data generation model 58 infers from the input inference data according to the instructions indicated by the prompts, and outputs the inference results in data formats such as audio data and text data. Here, inference refers to, for example, analysis, classification, prediction, and / or summarization.

[1252] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which specific processing is performed by the data processing device 12, but the technology of this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the specific processing may also be performed by the smart glasses 214.

[1253] [Third Embodiment]

[1254] Figure 5 shows an example of the configuration of the data processing system 310 according to the third embodiment.

[1255] As shown in Figure 5, the data processing system 310 includes a data processing device 12 and a headset terminal 314. An example of the data processing device 12 is a server.

[1256] The data processing device 12 comprises a computer 22, a database 24, and a communication interface 26. The computer 22 is an example of a "computer" related to the technology of this disclosure. The computer 22 comprises a processor 28, RAM 30, and storage 32. The processor 28, RAM 30, and storage 32 are connected to a bus 34. The database 24 and the communication interface 26 are also connected to the bus 34. The communication interface 26 is connected to a network 54. An example of the network 54 is a WAN (Wide Area Network) and / or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[1257] The headset terminal 314 includes a computer 36, a microphone 238, a speaker 240, a camera 42, a communication interface 44, and a display 343. The computer 36 includes a processor 46, RAM 48, and storage 50. The processor 46, RAM 48, and storage 50 are connected to a bus 52. The microphone 238, speaker 240, camera 42, and display 343 are also connected to the bus 52.

[1258] The microphone 238 receives voice signals from the user 20 and receives instructions from the user 20. The microphone 238 captures the voice signals from the user 20, converts the captured voice into audio data, and outputs it to the processor 46. The speaker 240 outputs audio according to the instructions from the processor 46.

[1259] Camera 42 is a small digital camera equipped with an optical system including a lens, aperture, and shutter, and an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and captures images of the area around the user 20 (for example, an imaging range defined by a field of view equivalent to the width of a typical healthy person's field of vision).

[1260] Communication interface 44 is connected to network 54. Communication interfaces 44 and 26 are responsible for the exchange of various information between processor 46 and processor 28 via network 54. The exchange of various information between processor 46 and processor 28 using communication interfaces 44 and 26 is performed in a secure manner.

[1261] Figure 6 shows an example of the main functions of the data processing device 12 and the headset terminal 314. As shown in Figure 6, the data processing device 12 performs specific processing using the processor 28. The storage 32 stores the specific processing program 56.

[1262] The specific processing program 56 is an example of a "program" relating to the technology of this disclosure. The processor 28 reads the specific processing program 56 from the storage 32 and executes the read specific processing program 56 on the RAM 30. The specific processing is realized by the processor 28 operating as a specific processing unit 290 in accordance with the specific processing program 56 executed on the RAM 30.

[1263] The storage 32 stores the data generation model 58 and the emotion identification model 59. The data generation model 58 and the emotion identification model 59 are used by the identification processing unit 290.

[1264] In the headset terminal 314, the processor 46 performs the reception output processing. The storage 50 stores the reception output program 60. The processor 46 reads the reception output program 60 from the storage 50 and executes the read reception output program 60 on the RAM 48. The reception output processing is realized by the processor 46 operating as a control unit 46A according to the reception output program 60 executed on the RAM 48.

[1265] Next, the specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 will be described. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the headset terminal 314 will be referred to as the "terminal".

[1266] This invention relates to a system for managing data from household electronic devices and efficiently managing household operations. The embodiments for implementing this system are described in detail below.

[1267] System Configuration

[1268] 1. User terminal:

[1269] User terminals include interfaces such as smartphones, tablets, and personal computers.

[1270] The user terminal allows users to input information such as their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences.

[1271] You can use the camera function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[1272] 2. Server:

[1273] The server receives and processes data sent from the user's terminal.

[1274] The server generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration, based on the entered data.

[1275] OCR technology is used to convert captured images into text data.

[1276] It has a function to automatically update the household budget.

[1277] It connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[1278] The system searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automates the purchase process.

[1279] Complete your shopping efficiently through electronic payment.

[1280] 3. Household refrigerator:

[1281] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[1282] System operation

[1283] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[1284] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using their user terminal. This data is then transmitted to the server via the interface.

[1285] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes.

[1286] Based on the received data, the server uses an algorithm to automatically generate a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[1287] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[1288] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using the camera on their device. The device uses OCR technology to convert the images into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[1289] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[1290] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This information is efficiently communicated to the user, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date.

[1291] Ingredient information and notifications

[1292] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients nearing their expiration date. This helps reduce food waste and allows for efficient consumption of ingredients. The suggestions are notified to the user's terminal, where the user can review them.

[1293] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1294] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase via electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[1295] Specific example

[1296] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the purchased ingredients and their amounts will be automatically reflected in the household budget.

[1297] Furthermore, through integration with the refrigerator, if information such as "the eggs expire in 3 days" is obtained, the server will suggest recipes using eggs (e.g., omelets) and notify the user. The user can then search for more eggs on an e-commerce site and proceed with the purchase. Once the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[1298] As described above, the present invention improves the efficiency of household management, reduces the burden on housewives and working women, and also has the effect of suppressing food waste.

[1299] The following describes the processing flow.

[1300] System-wide processing steps

[1301] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[1302] Step 1:

[1303] The user launches the application on their device and accesses the settings screen.

[1304] Step 2:

[1305] The terminal displays an input form, and the user enters information such as their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences.

[1306] Step 3:

[1307] The user completes the input and presses the "Submit" button.

[1308] Step 4:

[1309] The terminal sends the input data to the server.

[1310] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes.

[1311] Step 1:

[1312] The server receives data sent by the user.

[1313] Step 2:

[1314] Based on the food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences received by the server, an internal algorithm is executed to generate a menu and shopping list that is nutritionally balanced and within budget.

[1315] Step 3:

[1316] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the terminal.

[1317] Step 4:

[1318] The device displays a menu and shopping list to the user.

[1319] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[1320] Step 1:

[1321] After shopping, the user takes a picture of the receipt or food label with the device's camera.

[1322] Step 2:

[1323] The device performs OCR processing on the captured image, converting the image data into text data.

[1324] Step 3:

[1325] The terminal sends the converted text data to the server.

[1326] Reflection in household budget

[1327] Step 1:

[1328] The server receives the OCR-processed text data.

[1329] Step 2:

[1330] The server analyzes the received data to identify the purchased items and their prices.

[1331] Step 3:

[1332] The household budget is updated based on the data from which the server was identified.

[1333] Step 4:

[1334] The server sends the updated household budget data to the terminal.

[1335] Step 5:

[1336] The device displays the updated household budget to the user.

[1337] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[1338] Step 1:

[1339] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators.

[1340] Step 2:

[1341] The server organizes the data it acquires and manages inventory status and expiration dates.

[1342] Step 3:

[1343] The server notifies users of important inventory and expiration date information.

[1344] Step 4:

[1345] The device displays a notification to the user.

[1346] Ingredient information and notifications

[1347] Step 1:

[1348] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients that are nearing their expiration date.

[1349] Step 2:

[1350] The server sends the proposal to the user's terminal.

[1351] Step 3:

[1352] The device displays suggestions to the user.

[1353] Step 4:

[1354] Users review the suggested recipes and use them as needed.

[1355] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1356] Step 1:

[1357] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites.

[1358] Step 2:

[1359] The server initiates the purchase process based on the search results.

[1360] Step 3:

[1361] The server sends the order details to the user's terminal and prompts the user to confirm the order.

[1362] Step 4:

[1363] The terminal displays the order details to the user and asks for confirmation.

[1364] Step 5:

[1365] The user reviews the order details and confirms the purchase.

[1366] Step 6:

[1367] The user makes a payment using an electronic payment system.

[1368] Step 7:

[1369] The server confirms the completion of the purchase process and arranges for the delivery of the purchased ingredients.

[1370] These detailed processing steps improve the efficiency of household management, reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and help to reduce food waste.

[1371] (Example 1)

[1372] Next, we will describe Example 1. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the headset-type terminal 314 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[1373] In modern household management, managing food expenses and providing nutritionally balanced meals are crucial challenges. Especially for busy families, shopping, grocery management, and meal planning are cumbersome, leading to increased food waste. Traditional manual methods of updating household budgets, creating meal plans, and generating shopping lists are time-consuming and hinder efficient household management. Furthermore, managing food expiration dates and purchasing necessary ingredients also poses a significant burden. A system is needed to solve these problems and streamline household management.

[1374] The identification process performed by the identification processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Example 1 is realized by the following means.

[1375] In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences using a user terminal; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal; means for photographing receipts and food labels using OCR technology and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household ledger based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information; means for suggesting a specific recipe based on the acquired inventory information and expiration date information and notifying the user terminal; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; and means for displaying the order details to the user terminal and completing the purchase through electronic payment. This streamlines household management, enables effective food expense management and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals, and contributes to reducing food waste.

[1376] A "user terminal" refers to an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer that a user operates.

[1377] "Food expense target amount" is the target amount for food expenses set by the user for a month or a specific period.

[1378] "Family structure" refers to information that shows the number of people in a household and their relationships (adults, children, others).

[1379] "Dietary preferences" refers to information indicating what types of food the user or their family prefers (e.g., Japanese food, low-fat diet, etc.).

[1380] "Nutritional balance" refers to a state in which the nutrients necessary to maintain health are appropriately combined.

[1381] A "menu" is a list of dishes planned for a specific period or meal.

[1382] A "shopping list" is a list of ingredients and products that need to be purchased based on a meal plan.

[1383] "OCR technology" refers to optical character recognition technology, which is a technology that converts characters in an image into digital text.

[1384] A "household account book" is a ledger used to record and manage data on household income and expenses, especially food expenses.

[1385] A "household refrigerator" is a refrigeration device used in a home for storing food.

[1386] "Inventory information" refers to detailed information about the food and ingredients currently stored in the refrigerator.

[1387] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the best-before date or expiration date of food and ingredients in the refrigerator.

[1388] An "e-commerce site" is a website where you can purchase goods via the internet.

[1389] "Electronic payment" refers to a method of payment using digital currency, credit cards, etc., through online purchase procedures.

[1390] This invention relates to a system for managing household food expenses and providing nutritionally balanced meal plans. This system combines a user terminal, a server, and a household refrigerator, and through the roles and coordination of each component, it streamlines household operations.

[1391] First, users input their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences using a user device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This data is then transmitted from the user device to the server. The hardware used includes smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. Specific software examples include user input applications and web browsers.

[1392] Next, the server uses an AI algorithm to generate a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget based on the received data. A generative AI model is used for this process. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[1393] After shopping, users use their device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The device uses OCR technology to convert the captured images into text data and sends this data to a server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget. The software used includes an OCR engine and a server-side analysis program.

[1394] Furthermore, the server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. Based on this information, it suggests specific recipes for foods nearing their expiration date and notifies the user's terminal. This helps reduce food waste and allows for efficient consumption of ingredients. IoT technology is used for communication between the refrigerator and the server.

[1395] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase through electronic payment. Through this entire process, the necessary ingredients are delivered to the user's home without any hassle.

[1396] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the purchased ingredients and their amounts are automatically reflected in the household budget. Furthermore, by linking with the refrigerator, if the server receives information such as "the eggs expire in three days," it will suggest an egg-based recipe (e.g., omelet) and notify the user. Subsequently, the process of purchasing eggs from an e-commerce site begins, and after the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[1397] An example of a specific prompt for the generating AI model would be: "Please generate a nutritionally balanced menu and shopping list, assuming a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of 4 people, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat."

[1398] As described above, the system of the present invention streamlines household operations and supports the management of food expenses and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals.

[1399] The flow of the specific processing in Example 1 will be explained using Figure 11.

[1400] Step 1:

[1401] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[1402] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using their own devices such as smartphones, tablets, or personal computers. This input data includes the food budget target (e.g., 50,000 yen), family structure (e.g., 2 adults, 2 children), and dietary preferences (e.g., Japanese food, low-fat). This data is then transmitted from the user's device to the server.

[1403] Specific operation: When the user opens the app, enters their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences in the settings screen, and presses the save button, the device sends the data to the server.

[1404] Step 2:

[1405] Generating menus and shopping lists

[1406] The server receives data sent from the user. Based on the received data, an AI algorithm generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration. Input data includes the user's target budget, family structure, and preferences. Output data includes a menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list.

[1407] Specific operation: The server's AI model processes incoming data, generates nutritionally balanced meal plans and shopping lists tailored to each household's settings, and saves the results to a database.

[1408] Step 3:

[1409] Sending a menu and shopping list

[1410] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal. The input is the menu and shopping list generated by the AI ​​algorithm, and the output is the menu sent to the user's terminal.

[1411] Specific operation: The server encodes the generated menu and shopping list in JSON format and sends it to the user's terminal.

[1412] Step 4:

[1413] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[1414] After shopping, the user uses the device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The input data is the captured images, and the output data is the purchase information extracted in text format.

[1415] Specific operation: After the user finishes shopping, they open the app, tap the camera icon, and take a picture of the receipt. The device then uses OCR technology to convert the image into text data and sends it to the server.

[1416] Step 5:

[1417] Updating the household budget

[1418] The server analyzes the received text data and automatically updates the household budget ledger. The input data is text information converted by OCR (e.g., "Eggs 200 yen", "Milk 150 yen"), and the output data is the updated household budget ledger information.

[1419] Specific operation: The server parses the text data and updates the household budget database by adding the purchase items and amounts.

[1420] Step 6:

[1421] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[1422] The server interacts with a household refrigerator to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. The input data consists of inventory information obtained from the refrigerator (e.g., "3 eggs in stock," "3 days until expiration"), while the output data is information stored in the inventory database.

[1423] Specific operation: The server retrieves refrigerator data via API at regular intervals and saves inventory information and expiration date information to a database.

[1424] Step 7:

[1425] Notifications and recipe suggestions for food nearing its expiration date.

[1426] The server suggests a specific recipe based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information and notifies the user terminal. The input data is the expiration date information obtained from the refrigerator, and the output data is the recipe suggestion sent to the user terminal.

[1427] Specific operation: Based on the information that "the eggs are nearing their expiration date," the server generates a recipe using eggs (e.g., omelet) and notifies the user's terminal.

[1428] Step 8:

[1429] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1430] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The input data is a list of suggested ingredients, and the output data is the order details displayed on the user's terminal.

[1431] Specific operation: The server uses "egg" as a keyword to call an e-commerce API, searches for the most suitable product, generates an order, and sends it to the user's terminal.

[1432] Step 9:

[1433] Order confirmation and electronic payment

[1434] The user confirms the purchase details via the terminal and completes the purchase through electronic payment. The input data is the order details, and the output data is the completed electronic payment information.

[1435] Specific operation: The user reviews the received order details in the app and taps the bulk payment button. The purchased groceries are then delivered to their home.

[1436] Through the processing steps described above, the system of the present invention streamlines household management and supports the management of food expenses and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals.

[1437] (Application Example 1)

[1438] Next, we will explain Application Example 1. In the following explanation, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the headset-type terminal 314 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[1439] It is difficult for households to efficiently purchase groceries, maintain proper food budgeting and nutritional balance, and automatically update household accounts. In particular, there is a lack of a system that centrally manages food expiration dates, meal planning, and electronic payment processes. As a result, food waste and unnecessary spending increase, leading to inefficient household management.

[1440] The specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Application Example 1 is realized by the following means.

[1441] In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to a user terminal; means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household budget based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to obtain inventory information and expiration date information; means for notifying the user terminal of the obtained information; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; means for executing electronic payment; and means for the user terminal to perform ingredient search, order notification, automatic purchase procedure, and electronic payment process. This enables centralized management of household food expenses, menu planning, ingredient purchase, household budget updates, expiration date management, and even electronic payment, allowing for efficient household management.

[1442] "Household electronic devices" refers to all electronic devices used within the home.

[1443] A "data management system" refers to a mechanism that efficiently processes, stores, and utilizes information obtained from users.

[1444] A "food expense target amount" is a set amount that sets an upper limit on food expenses within a specific period.

[1445] "Family structure" refers to the number and relationships of individual members belonging to the same household.

[1446] "Dietary preferences" refer to the types and characteristics of food that individual users or families prefer.

[1447] "Nutritional balance" refers to a state in which the nutrients necessary for maintaining health are appropriately distributed.

[1448] A "budget" is a plan or constraint on income and expenditures over a specific period.

[1449] A "menu" refers to a set of meal options for a specific period of time.

[1450] A "shopping list" refers to a list of necessary items or ingredients.

[1451] "User terminal" refers to all devices that a user uses to interface with a system.

[1452] A "receipt" refers to a paper or digital record that details the items purchased and their prices.

[1453] A "food label" is a label that contains information about food products, such as ingredients and expiration dates.

[1454] "Methods for converting images into text data" refers to technologies that analyze textual information within an image and convert it into electronic text.

[1455] "A means of updating a household budget" refers to a function for keeping household income and expenditure information up-to-date.

[1456] A "household refrigerator" is a cooling device used for food storage in a home.

[1457] "Inventory information" refers to information about the quantity and condition of goods and food items currently in stock.

[1458] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the date by which food or products can be safely consumed.

[1459] "Means of notification" refer to the technologies and processes used to convey information to users.

[1460] An "e-commerce site" is a website where goods and services are bought and sold online.

[1461] "Methods for automating the purchase process" refer to systems that automatically handle the entire process from selecting products, placing orders, and making payments.

[1462] "Electronic payment" refers to a method of making payments using digital technology.

[1463] This invention relates to a system for efficiently managing data from household electronic devices and supporting household operations. This system has the following configuration and operating procedure.

[1464] System Configuration

[1465] 1. User terminal:

[1466] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using devices such as smartphones or smart glasses.

[1467] It has a camera function for taking pictures of receipts and food labels.

[1468] 2. Server:

[1469] Based on the entered data, the system generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[1470] Using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, images are converted into text data, and the household budget is automatically updated.

[1471] It integrates with the IoT (Internet of Things) functionality of household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[1472] The system searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automates the purchase process.

[1473] Complete your purchase quickly through electronic payment.

[1474] 3. Household refrigerator:

[1475] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that can store and transmit inventory and expiration date information to a server.

[1476] Data handling and processing

[1477] User terminal:

[1478] The user terminal is used to input their target food budget, family composition, and dietary preferences.

[1479] Users take photos of receipts or food labels and send the image data to the server.

[1480] server:

[1481] The system receives data sent from the user's terminal, uses an algorithm to generate a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget, and sends them back to the user's terminal.

[1482] Using OCR technology such as Pytesseract, image data is converted into text data. Then, the household budget is automatically updated.

[1483] The system periodically communicates with household refrigerators to obtain information on the contents and expiration dates. If necessary, it suggests specific recipes to reduce food waste and notifies the user's device.

[1484] The system uses e-commerce site APIs to search for suggested ingredients, presents the results in a user-friendly format, and automates the purchase process.

[1485] The payment process is expedited through the electronic payment API.

[1486] Specific example:

[1487] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of "Japanese food" and "low-fat," the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. After the user takes a picture of the receipt, the purchased ingredients and their amounts are automatically reflected in the household budget. Furthermore, by linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "the eggs expire in three days" is obtained, the server will suggest an egg-based recipe (e.g., omelet) and notify the user. The user can then search for more eggs on an e-commerce site and proceed with the purchase. Once the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[1488] Example of a prompt:

[1489] "Please suggest a Japanese meal menu for a family of four with a budget of 50,000 yen. We are limiting our preference to low-fat options. Please also generate a shopping list."

[1490] The flow of a specific process in Application Example 1 will be explained using Figure 12.

[1491] Step 1:

[1492] Users enter their target food budget, family size, and dietary preferences.

[1493] Users input their food budget target, family size, and dietary preferences using a smartphone or smart glasses. The system then retrieves the information the user needs. The entered data is sent to a server and stored in a database.

[1494] Input: Target amount for food expenses, family structure, dietary preferences

[1495] Output: Sending user data to the server

[1496] Step 2:

[1497] The server generates a menu and shopping list.

[1498] The server executes an algorithm to generate a meal plan and shopping list that takes into account nutritional balance and budget, based on the received food budget target, family size, and dietary preferences. This creates a meal plan and shopping list that is optimal for each household.

[1499] Input: User data (target food expenditure, family structure, dietary preferences)

[1500] Output: Menu and shopping list

[1501] Step 3:

[1502] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal.

[1503] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal. The user can then view this information on their smartphone or smart glasses.

[1504] Input: Menu and shopping list

[1505] Output: Sending data to the user terminal

[1506] Step 4:

[1507] Users take photos of receipts or food labels.

[1508] The user takes a picture of the receipt or food label of the purchased groceries using the camera on their smartphone or smart glasses. The captured image is sent to the server.

[1509] Input: Images of receipts or food labels

[1510] Output: Sending image data to the server

[1511] Step 5:

[1512] The server uses OCR technology to convert the image into text data.

[1513] The server uses OCR technology such as Pytesseract to analyze the received images and convert them into text data. The analyzed information is automatically reflected in the household budgeting system.

[1514] Input: Image data of receipts or food labels

[1515] Output: Text data and updated household ledger

[1516] Step 6:

[1517] The server connects with household refrigerators to retrieve inventory and expiration date information.

[1518] The server periodically acquires inventory and expiration date information through the IoT functionality of household refrigerators. The acquired data is stored on the server, and inventory and expiration date information is managed there.

[1519] Input: Inventory information and expiration date information in the refrigerator

[1520] Output: Updated inventory and expiration date information

[1521] Step 7:

[1522] The server suggests a specific recipe based on the information it has acquired and notifies the user's terminal.

[1523] The server generates recipes using food items that are nearing their expiration date, based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information. The generated recipes are then sent to the user's terminal.

[1524] Input: Updated inventory information and expiration date information

[1525] Output: Recipe and notification to user terminal

[1526] Step 8:

[1527] The server automatically searches for ingredients on e-commerce sites and processes the purchase.

[1528] The server automatically searches e-commerce sites based on the generated shopping list. The suggested ingredients are purchased online, and the user only needs to review and approve the order.

[1529] Input: Shopping list

[1530] Output: Online purchase procedure and purchase confirmation notification to the user's terminal.

[1531] Step 9:

[1532] The server executes the electronic payment.

[1533] The server uses an electronic payment API to quickly complete the payment for the purchase. Information about the completed purchase is then sent to the user's device.

[1534] Input: Purchase details

[1535] Output: Electronic payment completion notification and payment confirmation

[1536] Furthermore, an emotion engine that estimates the user's emotions may be incorporated. That is, the identification processing unit 290 may use the emotion identification model 59 to estimate the user's emotions and perform identification processing using the user's emotions.

[1537] This invention relates to a system that combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients, thereby reducing the burden on housewives and working women, and decreasing food waste. The configuration for implementing this system is described in detail below.

[1538] System Configuration

[1539] 1. User terminal:

[1540] User devices include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, and are equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features.

[1541] Users can use their device to input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[1542] It has a function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[1543] 2. Server:

[1544] The server receives and processes data sent by the user.

[1545] Based on your food budget target, family size, dietary preferences, and emotional state, the system generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget.

[1546] It has the ability to recognize the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions using an emotion engine.

[1547] OCR technology is used to convert captured images into text data.

[1548] It has an automatic household budget update function.

[1549] It connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[1550] Automate search and purchase procedures, as well as electronic payment, on e-commerce websites.

[1551] 3. Household refrigerator:

[1552] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[1553] System operation

[1554] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[1555] Users input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state using their user device. Emotional state may also be captured in real time using the device's camera and microphone. This data is transmitted to the server through the interface.

[1556] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes, with emotional adaptation.

[1557] The server runs an internal algorithm based on the received food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state to generate a menu and shopping list. In particular, it takes the user's emotional state into consideration; for example, if the user is feeling stressed, it suggests ingredients and recipes with relaxing effects. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[1558] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[1559] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using the camera on their device. The device uses OCR technology to convert the images into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[1560] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[1561] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This information is efficiently communicated to the user, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date. The system also provides suggestions tailored to the user's emotional state.

[1562] Ingredient information and notifications

[1563] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients nearing their expiration date. Based on an emotion engine, for example, if the user is tired, it will suggest easy-to-prepare and nutritious meals. The suggestions are notified to the user's terminal, and the user can check them.

[1564] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1565] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase via electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[1566] Specific example

[1567] If a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, and the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, the server generates a menu that is effective in reducing stress (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and sends it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list.

[1568] When a user takes a picture of their receipt after shopping, the device extracts data such as "Fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen" and reflects it in their household budget. By linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "the fish expires in 3 days" is notified, the server will suggest a simple recipe using the fish.

[1569] The server searches e-commerce sites to purchase additional suggested ingredients and displays the order details on the user's terminal. Once the user confirms and completes payment electronically, the fish and vegetables are delivered to their home.

[1570] This improves the efficiency of household management, reduces user stress, and minimizes food waste.

[1571] The following describes the processing flow.

[1572] System-wide processing steps

[1573] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[1574] Step 1:

[1575] The user launches the application on their device and accesses the settings screen.

[1576] Step 2:

[1577] Following the input form displayed on the device, the user enters their target food budget, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[1578] Step 3:

[1579] The user completes the input and presses the "Submit" button.

[1580] Step 4:

[1581] The terminal sends the input data to the server.

[1582] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes, with emotional adaptation.

[1583] Step 1:

[1584] The server receives data sent by the user.

[1585] Step 2:

[1586] The server uses an emotion engine to determine the user's emotional state.

[1587] Step 3:

[1588] Based on the food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state received by the server, it generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[1589] Step 4:

[1590] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the terminal.

[1591] Step 5:

[1592] The device displays a menu and shopping list to the user.

[1593] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[1594] Step 1:

[1595] After shopping, the user takes a picture of the receipt or food label with the device's camera.

[1596] Step 2:

[1597] The device performs OCR processing on the captured image, converting the image data into text data.

[1598] Step 3:

[1599] The terminal sends the converted text data to the server.

[1600] Reflection in household budget

[1601] Step 1:

[1602] The server receives the OCR-processed text data.

[1603] Step 2:

[1604] The server analyzes the received data to identify the purchased items and their prices.

[1605] Step 3:

[1606] The household budget is updated based on the data from which the server was identified.

[1607] Step 4:

[1608] The server sends the updated household budget data to the terminal.

[1609] Step 5:

[1610] The device displays the updated household budget to the user.

[1611] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[1612] Step 1:

[1613] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators.

[1614] Step 2:

[1615] The server organizes the data it acquires and manages inventory status and expiration dates.

[1616] Step 3:

[1617] The server notifies the user's terminal of information about food items nearing their expiration date, along with related recipes.

[1618] Step 4:

[1619] The device displays a notification to the user.

[1620] Ingredient information and notifications

[1621] Step 1:

[1622] The server uses an emotion engine to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients that are nearing their expiration date, based on the user's emotional state and refrigerator inventory data.

[1623] Step 2:

[1624] The server sends the proposal to the user's terminal.

[1625] Step 3:

[1626] The device displays suggestions to the user.

[1627] Step 4:

[1628] Users review the suggested recipes and use them as needed.

[1629] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1630] Step 1:

[1631] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites.

[1632] Step 2:

[1633] The server initiates the purchase process based on the search results.

[1634] Step 3:

[1635] The server sends the order details to the user's terminal and prompts the user to confirm the order.

[1636] Step 4:

[1637] The terminal displays the order details to the user and asks for confirmation.

[1638] Step 5:

[1639] The user reviews the order details and confirms the purchase.

[1640] Step 6:

[1641] The user makes a payment using an electronic payment system.

[1642] Step 7:

[1643] The server confirms the completion of the purchase process and arranges for the delivery of the purchased ingredients.

[1644] These detailed processing steps reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and streamline household management. Furthermore, by combining this with an emotion engine, flexible and optimal suggestions tailored to the user's emotional state become possible, providing even greater convenience and satisfaction.

[1645] (Example 2)

[1646] Next, we will describe Example 2. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the headset-type terminal 314 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[1647] In modern households, managing family meals and saving on food costs are challenges that require considerable effort and time. For working women and housewives in particular, planning daily menus, shopping, and preventing food waste are major sources of stress. Furthermore, while choosing meals based on one's emotional state is important, a system to achieve this does not yet exist. In addition, conventional systems are insufficient for tasks such as managing refrigerator inventory, tracking expiration dates, and automatically generating shopping lists.

[1648] The identification processing by the identification processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Example 2 is realized by the following means. In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences; means for generating a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal; means for recognizing emotional states and optimizing the menu and shopping list based on those states; means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household ledger based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information; means for notifying the user terminal of the acquired information; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; and means for executing electronic payment. As a result, the user can automate daily menu planning, shopping, refrigerator inventory management, and keeping track of expiration dates, greatly improving the convenience of daily life, reducing stress, and enabling a reduction in food waste.

[1649] "Household electronic devices" is a general term for various electrical and electronic devices used in the home.

[1650] "Managing data" refers to a series of processes that involve organizing, storing, updating, and analyzing collected data.

[1651] "Food expense target amount" refers to the budget amount for food expenses that the user plans to spend during a specific period.

[1652] "Family structure" refers to information about the individual members living in a household, including the number of people and their age ranges.

[1653] "Dietary preferences" refer to the types of food and nutritional imbalances that individual users or families prefer.

[1654] "Means of input" refers to methods or devices that allow users to input data using smartphones, tablets, personal computers, etc.

[1655] "Nutritional balance" is an indicator of whether the combination of nutrients in a meal is ideal for health.

[1656] A "budget-conscious menu" refers to a meal plan that uses ingredients that can be purchased within a set budget.

[1657] A "shopping list" is a list of ingredients and other items needed to make a meal plan a reality.

[1658] "Means of generation" refers to the method or process by which a system creates data using a specific algorithm.

[1659] "Emotional state" refers to the user's psychological and physiological state, and is data analyzed using specific technologies.

[1660] "Optimizing emotional state" refers to suggesting the most suitable menu and ingredients based on the user's current emotions.

[1661] "Receipts and food labels" refer to physical or electronic statements or labels that contain information about purchased items.

[1662] "Means of capturing images" refers to methods and devices for acquiring image data using equipment such as cameras and scanners.

[1663] "Text data" refers to a data format that is recognized as character information and can be used for storage and analysis.

[1664] "Updating a household budget" refers to updating household financial records based on collected expenditure information.

[1665] A "household refrigerator" is a cooling device used to store food and beverages for household use.

[1666] "Inventory information" refers to data about the types and quantities of food and beverages stored in the refrigerator.

[1667] "Expiration date information" refers to data regarding the expiration dates of stored food and beverages.

[1668] "Means of notification" refers to methods or devices for providing information to users.

[1669] "Suggested ingredients" refer to specific ingredients selected by the system and suggested to the user.

[1670] An "e-commerce site" is an online platform for trading goods and services over the internet.

[1671] "Methods of searching" refer to the methods and processes used to find information from a specific database or website.

[1672] "Automating the purchase process" refers to the automated process of ordering goods or services electronically and handling the payment process automatically.

[1673] "Electronic payment" refers to the transfer of funds using electronic means.

[1674] This invention combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients. This system aims to reduce the burden on housewives and working women, while also reducing food waste. The configuration for implementing this system is described in detail below.

[1675] System Configuration

[1676] User terminal

[1677] User terminals include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, and are equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features. Users can use their terminals to input their food budget goals, family structure, dietary preferences, and current emotional state. They also have a function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[1678] server

[1679] The server receives and processes data sent by the user. Specifically, it has the following functions:

[1680] This feature uses an emotion engine to recognize the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions. An emotion recognition API is used for this purpose.

[1681] A function that generates menus and shopping lists that take nutritional balance and budget into consideration, based on the target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, and emotional state.

[1682] A function that uses OCR technology to convert captured images into text data.

[1683] Automatic update function for household budgeting.

[1684] A function that connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[1685] A function that automates search and purchase procedures on e-commerce sites, as well as executes electronic payments.

[1686] Specific examples of the system

[1687] Data entry and transmission

[1688] Users use a smartphone app to input and submit information such as "Target food budget: 50,000 yen," "Family size: 4 people," "Dietary preferences: Japanese food, low fat," and "Emotional state: High stress." This data is received and analyzed on the server side.

[1689] Generating menus and shopping lists

[1690] Based on the received data, the server uses an emotion engine to generate menus such as "steamed fish," "vegetable salad rich in minerals," and "green tea." It also creates a shopping list, such as "fish 500 yen," "vegetables 300 yen," and "green tea 200 yen," and sends it to the user's terminal.

[1691] Photographing and digitizing receipts and food labels

[1692] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using their smartphone camera. The device uses OCR technology to convert the image data into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the received text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[1693] Integration with household refrigerators

[1694] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from the home refrigerator. For example, it might notify the user that "the fish in the refrigerator expires in 3 days" and suggest a recipe using the fish (e.g., "butter-fried fish").

[1695] Automated search and purchase on e-commerce sites

[1696] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The user's terminal is notified of the order details, and the user confirms and makes the electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[1697] Example of a prompt

[1698] "The user has set a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of 4, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat. If the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, generate a menu that is effective in reducing stress (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and send it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list."

[1699] This invention streamlines household operations, reducing user stress and minimizing food waste.

[1700] The flow of the specific processing in Example 2 will be explained using Figure 13.

[1701] Program processing flow and detailed explanation

[1702] Step 1:

[1703] Data entry and transmission

[1704] What the user does:

[1705] Users launch a dedicated application using their smartphone, tablet, or PC and input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[1706] Example input: Target food budget is 50,000 yen, family size is 4 people, dietary preferences are Japanese food and low-fat, emotional state is high stress.

[1707] What the device does:

[1708] The entered data is reviewed and sent to the server.

[1709] Data processing: Format the input data into JSON format or similar.

[1710] Output: The formatted data is sent to the server.

[1711] Step 2:

[1712] Analysis of emotional states and generation of meal plans and shopping lists

[1713] What the server does:

[1714] The system analyzes the received data and uses an emotion engine to recognize the user's emotional state.

[1715] Input: Submitted data (target food budget, family structure, food preferences, emotional state).

[1716] Data processing: Analysis of emotional states using an emotion recognition API.

[1717] Output: Recognized emotional state.

[1718] Based on recognized emotional states, food budget targets, family structure, and dietary preferences, the system generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget.

[1719] Data processing: Selecting appropriate recipes and ingredients.

[1720] Output: Generated menu (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea) and shopping list (e.g., fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen).

[1721] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal.

[1722] Step 3:

[1723] Displaying the menu and shopping list

[1724] What the device does:

[1725] The system receives menus and shopping lists sent from the server and displays them to the user.

[1726] Input: Menu and shopping list sent from the server.

[1727] Output: Menu and shopping list displayed on the application screen.

[1728] Step 4:

[1729] Photographing and digitizing receipts and food labels

[1730] What the user does:

[1731] After shopping, I use my smartphone camera to take pictures of the receipt and food labels.

[1732] Input: Images of receipts or food labels that you have photographed.

[1733] What the device does:

[1734] The captured image is converted into text data using OCR technology.

[1735] Data processing: Image processing and text recognition.

[1736] Output: Converted text data (e.g., Fish 500 yen, Vegetables 300 yen, Green tea 200 yen).

[1737] Send the converted text data to the server.

[1738] Step 5:

[1739] Automatic update of household budget

[1740] What the server does:

[1741] The system analyzes the received text data and updates the household budget information.

[1742] Input: Converted text data.

[1743] Data processing: Expenditure information is updated through analytical processing.

[1744] Output: Updated household budget.

[1745] Step 6:

[1746] Integration with household refrigerators and data acquisition

[1747] What the server does:

[1748] It connects with household refrigerators to periodically acquire inventory and expiration date information.

[1749] Input: Inventory and expiration date information for household refrigerators.

[1750] Data processing: Saving and analyzing inventory and expiration date information in a database.

[1751] Output: Analyzed inventory information and expiration date information.

[1752] Step 7:

[1753] Notifications and recipe suggestions

[1754] What the server does:

[1755] Based on the information obtained from the refrigerator, the system notifies the user's terminal and suggests recipes using ingredients that are nearing their expiration date.

[1756] Input: Refrigerator inventory information and expiration date information.

[1757] Data processing: Selecting recipes that use specific ingredients.

[1758] Output: Notification of suggested recipes (e.g., fish expires in 3 days. Simple recipe using fish: butter-fried fish).

[1759] Step 8:

[1760] Automated search and purchase on e-commerce sites

[1761] What the server does:

[1762] The system automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and initiates the purchase process.

[1763] Input: Suggested list of ingredients.

[1764] Data processing: Automating the process of searching for and purchasing ingredients on an online platform.

[1765] Output: Search results and start of the purchase process.

[1766] The server notifies the user's terminal of the purchase procedure details, and the user confirms and approves them.

[1767] Step 9:

[1768] Electronic payment and delivery

[1769] What the user does:

[1770] Review the purchase procedure details notified by the server and make the electronic payment.

[1771] Input: Details of the purchase (ingredients and price).

[1772] Output: Payment completion notification.

[1773] What the server does:

[1774] After payment is complete, we will proceed with the delivery of the purchased groceries to your home.

[1775] Input: Payment completion information.

[1776] Output: Shipping procedures and shipping notifications.

[1777] Through these steps, users' household management will be automated, resulting in reduced stress and increased efficiency.

[1778] (Application Example 2)

[1779] Next, we will explain application example 2. In the following explanation, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server," and the headset-type terminal 314 will be referred to as the "terminal."

[1780] There is a need to streamline food management, meal planning, and shopping at home, particularly to reduce the burden on housewives and working women. Reducing food waste and improving the accuracy of household budget management are also important issues. Conventional systems lack suggestions that consider the user's emotional state, and therefore do not adequately reduce stress in daily life. Furthermore, the integration of electronic payments and automated purchasing procedures is insufficient, necessitating a new system to address these challenges.

[1781] In Application Example 2, the specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 is realized by the following means. In this invention, the server includes means for managing data from household electronic devices, means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences, means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data, means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal, means for recognizing the user's emotional state and making suggestions based on that emotion, means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data, means for updating the household ledger based on the converted text data, means for cooperating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information, means for notifying the user terminal of the acquired information, means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure, and means for executing electronic payment. This improves the efficiency of household management, reduces user stress, reduces food waste, and improves the accuracy of household budget management.

[1782] The definitions for each important word are as follows:

[1783] "Data from household electronic devices" refers to information and usage data generated and handled by household electronic devices such as home appliances.

[1784] "Food expense target amount" refers to the target amount of money that you plan to spend on purchasing food ingredients within a certain period.

[1785] "Family structure" refers to information indicating the number of people living together in a household and their relationships.

[1786] "Dietary preferences" refer to preference information about the types of ingredients and dishes that individual users like.

[1787] A "menu" is a list of meals planned for a specific period of time.

[1788] A "shopping list" is a list created to purchase necessary groceries and other items.

[1789] A "user terminal" refers to an electronic device used by a user, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.

[1790] "Emotional state" refers to information that indicates the user's psychological and emotional condition.

[1791] "Receipts and food labels" refer to the paper documents issued at the time of purchase that detail the purchase, as well as the labels attached to the food products.

[1792] "Text data" refers to digital data expressed as characters or sentences.

[1793] A "household account book" is a ledger used to record and manage household income and expenses.

[1794] A "household refrigerator" is an electrical appliance used to store food at low temperatures within the home.

[1795] "Inventory information" refers to information about the types and quantities of food stored in a household refrigerator.

[1796] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the date by which each food item can be safely consumed.

[1797] An "e-commerce site" is a website that sells goods and provides services over the internet.

[1798] "Purchase procedure" refers to the process or steps involved in purchasing a product.

[1799] "Electronic payment" refers to a payment method that uses electronic means.

[1800] This invention is a system that combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients, thereby improving the efficiency of household management, reducing user stress, decreasing food waste, and improving the accuracy of household budget management. Specific embodiments of the system are described in detail below.

[1801] System Configuration

[1802] User terminal

[1803] User devices include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, all equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features. Users can use their devices to input their food budget goals, family structure, dietary preferences, and current emotional state. Furthermore, the devices also have the ability to photograph receipts and food labels.

[1804] server

[1805] The server is the main component for achieving the following functions:

[1806] 1. Data Management and Input Interface: Receives and processes data submitted by users regarding food budget targets, family structure, preferences, and emotional state.

[1807] 2. Menu Generation: Based on the target food budget, family structure, preferences, and emotional state, a menu and shopping list are generated that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[1808] 3. Emotion Recognition: Recognizes the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions. Emotion recognition models such as TensorFlow and Keras are used as technologies.

[1809] 4. Image processing and OCR: Convert images of receipts and food labels into text data using OCR technology (such as Google Cloud Vision API).

[1810] 5. Inventory Management: Connects with IoT-enabled household refrigerators to obtain inventory information and expiration date information.

[1811] 6. E-commerce and Payment: The system automatically searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and completes the purchase process. This includes the ability to make electronic payments.

[1812] Household refrigerator

[1813] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[1814] System operation

[1815] Data entry

[1816] Users launch a smartphone application and input their food budget target, family structure, preferences, and emotional state. Emotional state may be captured in real time using the camera and microphone. This data is transmitted to the server through the interface.

[1817] Menu generation

[1818] The server executes an internal algorithm based on the received data to generate appropriate menus and shopping lists. In particular, if the user is experiencing stress, it suggests relaxing ingredients and recipes. The generated data is sent to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[1819] Image processing and household budget updates

[1820] After shopping, users use their device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The server converts this into text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[1821] Refrigerator integration and inventory management

[1822] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This allows for efficient notification to users, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date. In particular, suggestions are tailored to the user's emotional state.

[1823] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1824] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and initiates the purchase process. The user confirms the order details and completes the purchase through electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[1825] Specific example

[1826] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, and the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, the server generates a menu effective for stress reduction (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and sends it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the terminal extracts data such as "fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen" and reflects it in the household budget. By linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "fish expires in 3 days" is notified, the server suggests a simple recipe using the fish. The server searches e-commerce sites to purchase the suggested ingredients and displays the order details on the user's terminal. Once the user confirms and completes payment electronically, the fish and vegetables are delivered to their home.

[1827] Examples of prompts for a generative AI model:

[1828] Please generate a menu based on the user's emotional state. The target food budget is 50,000 yen, the family consists of 4 people, and their preferences are Japanese food and low-fat. The user's emotional state is "high stress." Please provide the suggested menu and shopping list.

[1829] This system will make users' daily lives more efficient and comfortable, and will also contribute to reducing food waste.

[1830] The flow of a specific process in Application Example 2 will be explained using Figure 14.

[1831] Step 1:

[1832] Users launch a smartphone application and input their food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state. Input includes manual input via the device's touchscreen and real-time data acquisition using the camera and microphone. This data is then transmitted to a server.

[1833] (Input) Target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, emotional state

[1834] (Output) User data sent to the server

[1835] Step 2:

[1836] The server generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget based on the received data. It uses an emotion engine to identify the user's emotional state and suggest recipes optimized for that emotion.

[1837] (Input) Target amount for food expenses, family structure, food preferences, emotional state

[1838] (Output) Menu and shopping list

[1839] Step 3:

[1840] The generated menu and shopping list are sent to the user's device and displayed for the user to review. The user then uses this as a reference when shopping.

[1841] (Input) Menu and shopping list

[1842] (Output) Menu and shopping list displayed on the user terminal

[1843] Step 4:

[1844] After shopping, the user uses the device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The device uses OCR technology to convert the captured images into text data and sends that data to the server.

[1845] (Input) Images of receipts or food labels

[1846] (Output) OCR-converted text data

[1847] Step 5:

[1848] The server updates the household budget based on the interview text data. Automated data analysis reflects the price and quantity of purchased groceries in the household budget.

[1849] (Input) OCR-converted text data

[1850] (Output) Updated household account book

[1851] Step 6:

[1852] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. Based on this data, the server sends notifications to user terminals. By receiving notifications about food items nearing their expiration date, users can manage their inventory more efficiently.

[1853] (Input) Inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators

[1854] (Output) Notification to user terminal

[1855] Step 7:

[1856] The server suggests recipes using leftovers based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information. In particular, it sends appropriate cooking methods for foods nearing their expiration date to the user's terminal.

[1857] (Input) Inventory information, expiration date information

[1858] (Output) Proposed recipe

[1859] Step 8:

[1860] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and proceeds with the purchase. The user confirms the order details and completes the purchase by making an electronic payment using their terminal.

[1861] (Input) List of suggested ingredients

[1862] (Output) Purchase procedure completion notice

[1863] The specific processing unit 290 transmits the result of the specific processing to the headset terminal 314. In the headset terminal 314, the control unit 46A causes the speaker 240 and display 343 to output the result of the specific processing. The microphone 238 acquires audio indicating user input for the result of the specific processing. The control unit 46A transmits the audio data indicating user input acquired by the microphone 238 to the data processing unit 12. In the data processing unit 12, the specific processing unit 290 acquires the audio data.

[1864] The data generation model 58 is a type of so-called generative AI (Artificial Intelligence). One example of the data generation model 58 is ChatGPT (Internet Search).<URL: https: / / openai.com / blog / chatgpt> ), Gemini (Internet search) <url: https: gemini.google.com ?hl="ja">Examples of generative AI include the following. The data generation model 58 is obtained by performing deep learning on a neural network. The data generation model 58 is input with prompts containing instructions, and with inference data such as audio data representing speech, text data representing text, and image data representing images. The data generation model 58 infers from the input inference data according to the instructions indicated by the prompts, and outputs the inference results in data formats such as audio data and text data. Here, inference refers to, for example, analysis, classification, prediction, and / or summarization.

[1865] In the above embodiment, an example was given in which specific processing is performed by the data processing device 12, but the technology of this disclosure is not limited thereto, and specific processing may also be performed by the headset terminal 314.

[1866] [Fourth Embodiment]

[1867] Figure 7 shows an example of the configuration of the data processing system 410 according to the fourth embodiment.

[1868] As shown in Figure 7, the data processing system 410 includes a data processing device 12 and a robot 414. An example of the data processing device 12 is a server.

[1869] The data processing device 12 comprises a computer 22, a database 24, and a communication interface 26. The computer 22 is an example of a "computer" related to the technology of this disclosure. The computer 22 comprises a processor 28, RAM 30, and storage 32. The processor 28, RAM 30, and storage 32 are connected to a bus 34. The database 24 and the communication interface 26 are also connected to the bus 34. The communication interface 26 is connected to a network 54. An example of the network 54 is a WAN (Wide Area Network) and / or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[1870] The robot 414 includes a computer 36, a microphone 238, a speaker 240, a camera 42, a communication interface 44, and a controlled object 443. The computer 36 includes a processor 46, RAM 48, and storage 50. The processor 46, RAM 48, and storage 50 are connected to a bus 52. The microphone 238, speaker 240, camera 42, and controlled object 443 are also connected to the bus 52.

[1871] The microphone 238 receives voice signals from the user 20 and receives instructions from the user 20. The microphone 238 captures the voice signals from the user 20, converts the captured voice into audio data, and outputs it to the processor 46. The speaker 240 outputs audio according to the instructions from the processor 46.

[1872] Camera 42 is a small digital camera equipped with an optical system including a lens, aperture, and shutter, and an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and captures images of the area around the user 20 (for example, an imaging range defined by a field of view equivalent to the width of a typical healthy person's field of vision).

[1873] Communication interface 44 is connected to network 54. Communication interfaces 44 and 26 are responsible for the exchange of various information between processor 46 and processor 28 via network 54. The exchange of various information between processor 46 and processor 28 using communication interfaces 44 and 26 is performed in a secure manner.

[1874] The controlled object 443 includes a display device, LEDs in the eyes, and motors that drive the arms, hands, and feet. The posture and gestures of the robot 414 are controlled by controlling the motors of the arms, hands, and feet. Some of the robot 414's emotions can be expressed by controlling these motors. Furthermore, the robot 414's facial expressions can also be expressed by controlling the illumination state of the LEDs in its eyes.

[1875] Figure 8 shows an example of the main functions of the data processing device 12 and the robot 414. As shown in Figure 8, the data processing device 12 performs specific processing using the processor 28. The storage 32 stores the specific processing program 56.

[1876] The specific processing program 56 is an example of a "program" relating to the technology of this disclosure. The processor 28 reads the specific processing program 56 from the storage 32 and executes the read specific processing program 56 on the RAM 30. The specific processing is realized by the processor 28 operating as a specific processing unit 290 in accordance with the specific processing program 56 executed on the RAM 30.

[1877] The storage 32 stores the data generation model 58 and the emotion identification model 59. The data generation model 58 and the emotion identification model 59 are used by the identification processing unit 290.

[1878] In robot 414, the processor 46 performs the reception output processing. The storage 50 stores the reception output program 60. The processor 46 reads the reception output program 60 from the storage 50 and executes the read reception output program 60 on the RAM 48. The reception output processing is realized by the processor 46 operating as a control unit 46A according to the reception output program 60 executed on the RAM 48.

[1879] Next, the specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 will be described. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the robot 414 as the "terminal".

[1880] This invention relates to a system for managing data from household electronic devices and efficiently managing household operations. The embodiments for implementing this system are described in detail below.

[1881] System Configuration

[1882] 1. User terminal:

[1883] User terminals include interfaces such as smartphones, tablets, and personal computers.

[1884] The user terminal allows users to input information such as their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences.

[1885] You can use the camera function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[1886] 2. Server:

[1887] The server receives and processes data sent from the user's terminal.

[1888] The server generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration, based on the entered data.

[1889] OCR technology is used to convert captured images into text data.

[1890] It has a function to automatically update the household budget.

[1891] It connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[1892] The system searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automates the purchase process.

[1893] Complete your shopping efficiently through electronic payment.

[1894] 3. Household refrigerator:

[1895] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[1896] System operation

[1897] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[1898] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using their user terminal. This data is then transmitted to the server via the interface.

[1899] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes.

[1900] Based on the received data, the server uses an algorithm to automatically generate a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[1901] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[1902] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using the camera on their device. The device uses OCR technology to convert the images into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[1903] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[1904] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This information is efficiently communicated to the user, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date.

[1905] Ingredient information and notifications

[1906] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients nearing their expiration date. This helps reduce food waste and allows for efficient consumption of ingredients. The suggestions are notified to the user's terminal, where the user can review them.

[1907] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1908] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase via electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[1909] Specific example

[1910] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the purchased ingredients and their amounts will be automatically reflected in the household budget.

[1911] Furthermore, through integration with the refrigerator, if information such as "the eggs expire in 3 days" is obtained, the server will suggest recipes using eggs (e.g., omelets) and notify the user. The user can then search for more eggs on an e-commerce site and proceed with the purchase. Once the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[1912] As described above, the present invention improves the efficiency of household management, reduces the burden on housewives and working women, and also has the effect of suppressing food waste.

[1913] The following describes the processing flow.

[1914] System-wide processing steps

[1915] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[1916] Step 1:

[1917] The user launches the application on their device and accesses the settings screen.

[1918] Step 2:

[1919] The terminal displays an input form, and the user enters information such as their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences.

[1920] Step 3:

[1921] The user completes the input and presses the "Submit" button.

[1922] Step 4:

[1923] The terminal sends the input data to the server.

[1924] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes.

[1925] Step 1:

[1926] The server receives data sent by the user.

[1927] Step 2:

[1928] Based on the food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences received by the server, an internal algorithm is executed to generate a menu and shopping list that is nutritionally balanced and within budget.

[1929] Step 3:

[1930] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the terminal.

[1931] Step 4:

[1932] The device displays a menu and shopping list to the user.

[1933] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[1934] Step 1:

[1935] After shopping, the user takes a picture of the receipt or food label with the device's camera.

[1936] Step 2:

[1937] The device performs OCR processing on the captured image, converting the image data into text data.

[1938] Step 3:

[1939] The terminal sends the converted text data to the server.

[1940] Reflection in household budget

[1941] Step 1:

[1942] The server receives the OCR-processed text data.

[1943] Step 2:

[1944] The server analyzes the received data to identify the purchased items and their prices.

[1945] Step 3:

[1946] The household budget is updated based on the data from which the server was identified.

[1947] Step 4:

[1948] The server sends the updated household budget data to the terminal.

[1949] Step 5:

[1950] The device displays the updated household budget to the user.

[1951] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[1952] Step 1:

[1953] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators.

[1954] Step 2:

[1955] The server organizes the data it acquires and manages inventory status and expiration dates.

[1956] Step 3:

[1957] The server notifies users of important inventory and expiration date information.

[1958] Step 4:

[1959] The device displays a notification to the user.

[1960] Ingredient information and notifications

[1961] Step 1:

[1962] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients that are nearing their expiration date.

[1963] Step 2:

[1964] The server sends the proposal to the user's terminal.

[1965] Step 3:

[1966] The device displays suggestions to the user.

[1967] Step 4:

[1968] Users review the suggested recipes and use them as needed.

[1969] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[1970] Step 1:

[1971] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites.

[1972] Step 2:

[1973] The server initiates the purchase process based on the search results.

[1974] Step 3:

[1975] The server sends the order details to the user's terminal and prompts the user to confirm the order.

[1976] Step 4:

[1977] The terminal displays the order details to the user and asks for confirmation.

[1978] Step 5:

[1979] The user reviews the order details and confirms the purchase.

[1980] Step 6:

[1981] The user makes a payment using an electronic payment system.

[1982] Step 7:

[1983] The server confirms the completion of the purchase process and arranges for the delivery of the purchased ingredients.

[1984] These detailed processing steps improve the efficiency of household management, reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and help to reduce food waste.

[1985] (Example 1)

[1986] Next, we will describe Example 1. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the robot 414 as the "terminal".

[1987] In modern household management, managing food expenses and providing nutritionally balanced meals are crucial challenges. Especially for busy families, shopping, grocery management, and meal planning are cumbersome, leading to increased food waste. Traditional manual methods of updating household budgets, creating meal plans, and generating shopping lists are time-consuming and hinder efficient household management. Furthermore, managing food expiration dates and purchasing necessary ingredients also poses a significant burden. A system is needed to solve these problems and streamline household management.

[1988] The identification process performed by the identification processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Example 1 is realized by the following means.

[1989] In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences using a user terminal; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to the user terminal; means for photographing receipts and food labels using OCR technology and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household ledger based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to acquire inventory information and expiration date information; means for suggesting a specific recipe based on the acquired inventory information and expiration date information and notifying the user terminal; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; and means for displaying the order details to the user terminal and completing the purchase through electronic payment. This streamlines household management, enables effective food expense management and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals, and contributes to reducing food waste.

[1990] A "user terminal" refers to an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer that a user operates.

[1991] "Food expense target amount" is the target amount for food expenses set by the user for a month or a specific period.

[1992] "Family structure" refers to information that shows the number of people in a household and their relationships (adults, children, others).

[1993] "Dietary preferences" refers to information indicating what types of food the user or their family prefers (e.g., Japanese food, low-fat diet, etc.).

[1994] "Nutritional balance" refers to a state in which the nutrients necessary to maintain health are appropriately combined.

[1995] A "menu" is a list of dishes planned for a specific period or meal.

[1996] A "shopping list" is a list of ingredients and products that need to be purchased based on a meal plan.

[1997] "OCR technology" refers to optical character recognition technology, which is a technology that converts characters in an image into digital text.

[1998] A "household account book" is a ledger used to record and manage data on household income and expenses, especially food expenses.

[1999] A "household refrigerator" is a refrigeration device used in a home for storing food.

[2000] "Inventory information" refers to detailed information about the food and ingredients currently stored in the refrigerator.

[2001] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the best-before date or expiration date of food and ingredients in the refrigerator.

[2002] An "e-commerce site" is a website where you can purchase goods via the internet.

[2003] "Electronic payment" refers to a method of payment using digital currency, credit cards, etc., through online purchase procedures.

[2004] This invention relates to a system for managing household food expenses and providing nutritionally balanced meal plans. This system combines a user terminal, a server, and a household refrigerator, and through the roles and coordination of each component, it streamlines household operations.

[2005] First, users input their target food budget, family structure, and dietary preferences using a user device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. This data is then transmitted from the user device to the server. The hardware used includes smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. Specific software examples include user input applications and web browsers.

[2006] Next, the server uses an AI algorithm to generate a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget based on the received data. A generative AI model is used for this process. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[2007] After shopping, users use their device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The device uses OCR technology to convert the captured images into text data and sends this data to a server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget. The software used includes an OCR engine and a server-side analysis program.

[2008] Furthermore, the server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. Based on this information, it suggests specific recipes for foods nearing their expiration date and notifies the user's terminal. This helps reduce food waste and allows for efficient consumption of ingredients. IoT technology is used for communication between the refrigerator and the server.

[2009] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase through electronic payment. Through this entire process, the necessary ingredients are delivered to the user's home without any hassle.

[2010] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. When the user takes a picture of the receipt after shopping, the purchased ingredients and their amounts are automatically reflected in the household budget. Furthermore, by linking with the refrigerator, if the server receives information such as "the eggs expire in three days," it will suggest an egg-based recipe (e.g., omelet) and notify the user. Subsequently, the process of purchasing eggs from an e-commerce site begins, and after the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[2011] An example of a specific prompt for the generating AI model would be: "Please generate a nutritionally balanced menu and shopping list, assuming a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of 4 people, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat."

[2012] As described above, the system of the present invention streamlines household operations and supports the management of food expenses and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals.

[2013] The flow of the specific processing in Example 1 will be explained using Figure 11.

[2014] Step 1:

[2015] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[2016] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using their own devices such as smartphones, tablets, or personal computers. This input data includes the food budget target (e.g., 50,000 yen), family structure (e.g., 2 adults, 2 children), and dietary preferences (e.g., Japanese food, low-fat). This data is then transmitted from the user's device to the server.

[2017] Specific operation: When the user opens the app, enters their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences in the settings screen, and presses the save button, the device sends the data to the server.

[2018] Step 2:

[2019] Generating menus and shopping lists

[2020] The server receives data sent from the user. Based on the received data, an AI algorithm generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration. Input data includes the user's target budget, family structure, and preferences. Output data includes a menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list.

[2021] Specific operation: The server's AI model processes incoming data, generates nutritionally balanced meal plans and shopping lists tailored to each household's settings, and saves the results to a database.

[2022] Step 3:

[2023] Sending a menu and shopping list

[2024] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal. The input is the menu and shopping list generated by the AI ​​algorithm, and the output is the menu sent to the user's terminal.

[2025] Specific operation: The server encodes the generated menu and shopping list in JSON format and sends it to the user's terminal.

[2026] Step 4:

[2027] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[2028] After shopping, the user uses the device's camera to take pictures of receipts and food labels. The input data is the captured images, and the output data is the purchase information extracted in text format.

[2029] Specific operation: After the user finishes shopping, they open the app, tap the camera icon, and take a picture of the receipt. The device then uses OCR technology to convert the image into text data and sends it to the server.

[2030] Step 5:

[2031] Updating the household budget

[2032] The server analyzes the received text data and automatically updates the household budget ledger. The input data is text information converted by OCR (e.g., "Eggs 200 yen", "Milk 150 yen"), and the output data is the updated household budget ledger information.

[2033] Specific operation: The server parses the text data and updates the household budget database by adding the purchase items and amounts.

[2034] Step 6:

[2035] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[2036] The server interacts with a household refrigerator to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. The input data consists of inventory information obtained from the refrigerator (e.g., "3 eggs in stock," "3 days until expiration"), while the output data is information stored in the inventory database.

[2037] Specific operation: The server retrieves refrigerator data via API at regular intervals and saves inventory information and expiration date information to a database.

[2038] Step 7:

[2039] Notifications and recipe suggestions for food nearing its expiration date.

[2040] The server suggests a specific recipe based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information and notifies the user terminal. The input data is the expiration date information obtained from the refrigerator, and the output data is the recipe suggestion sent to the user terminal.

[2041] Specific operation: Based on the information that "the eggs are nearing their expiration date," the server generates a recipe using eggs (e.g., omelet) and notifies the user's terminal.

[2042] Step 8:

[2043] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[2044] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The input data is a list of suggested ingredients, and the output data is the order details displayed on the user's terminal.

[2045] Specific operation: The server uses "egg" as a keyword to call an e-commerce API, searches for the most suitable product, generates an order, and sends it to the user's terminal.

[2046] Step 9:

[2047] Order confirmation and electronic payment

[2048] The user confirms the purchase details via the terminal and completes the purchase through electronic payment. The input data is the order details, and the output data is the completed electronic payment information.

[2049] Specific operation: The user reviews the received order details in the app and taps the bulk payment button. The purchased groceries are then delivered to their home.

[2050] Through the processing steps described above, the system of the present invention streamlines household management and supports the management of food expenses and the provision of nutritionally balanced meals.

[2051] (Application Example 1)

[2052] Next, we will explain Application Example 1. In the following explanation, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the robot 414 as the "terminal".

[2053] It is difficult for households to efficiently purchase groceries, maintain proper food budgeting and nutritional balance, and automatically update household accounts. In particular, there is a lack of a system that centrally manages food expiration dates, meal planning, and electronic payment processes. As a result, food waste and unnecessary spending increase, leading to inefficient household management.

[2054] The specific processing performed by the specific processing unit 290 of the data processing device 12 in Application Example 1 is realized by the following means.

[2055] In this invention, the server includes means for inputting a target amount for food expenses, family composition, and dietary preferences; means for generating a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget based on the input data; means for transmitting the generated menu and shopping list to a user terminal; means for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data; means for updating a household budget based on the converted text data; means for coordinating with a household refrigerator to obtain inventory information and expiration date information; means for notifying the user terminal of the obtained information; means for searching for suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and automating the purchase procedure; means for executing electronic payment; and means for the user terminal to perform ingredient search, order notification, automatic purchase procedure, and electronic payment process. This enables centralized management of household food expenses, menu planning, ingredient purchase, household budget updates, expiration date management, and even electronic payment, allowing for efficient household management.

[2056] "Household electronic devices" refers to all electronic devices used within the home.

[2057] A "data management system" refers to a mechanism that efficiently processes, stores, and utilizes information obtained from users.

[2058] A "food expense target amount" is a set amount that sets an upper limit on food expenses within a specific period.

[2059] "Family structure" refers to the number and relationships of individual members belonging to the same household.

[2060] "Dietary preferences" refer to the types and characteristics of food that individual users or families prefer.

[2061] "Nutritional balance" refers to a state in which the nutrients necessary for maintaining health are appropriately distributed.

[2062] A "budget" is a plan or constraint on income and expenditures over a specific period.

[2063] A "menu" refers to a set of meal options for a specific period of time.

[2064] A "shopping list" refers to a list of necessary items or ingredients.

[2065] "User terminal" refers to all devices that a user uses to interface with a system.

[2066] A "receipt" refers to a paper or digital record that details the items purchased and their prices.

[2067] A "food label" is a label that contains information about food products, such as ingredients and expiration dates.

[2068] "Methods for converting images into text data" refers to technologies that analyze textual information within an image and convert it into electronic text.

[2069] "A means of updating a household budget" refers to a function for keeping household income and expenditure information up-to-date.

[2070] A "household refrigerator" is a cooling device used for food storage in a home.

[2071] "Inventory information" refers to information about the quantity and condition of goods and food items currently in stock.

[2072] "Expiration date information" refers to information about the date by which food or products can be safely consumed.

[2073] "Means of notification" refer to the technologies and processes used to convey information to users.

[2074] An "e-commerce site" is a website where goods and services are bought and sold online.

[2075] "Methods for automating the purchase process" refer to systems that automatically handle the entire process from selecting products, placing orders, and making payments.

[2076] "Electronic payment" refers to a method of making payments using digital technology.

[2077] This invention relates to a system for efficiently managing data from household electronic devices and supporting household operations. This system has the following configuration and operating procedure.

[2078] System Configuration

[2079] 1. User terminal:

[2080] Users input their food budget target, family structure, and dietary preferences using devices such as smartphones or smart glasses.

[2081] It has a camera function for taking pictures of receipts and food labels.

[2082] 2. Server:

[2083] Based on the entered data, the system generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[2084] Using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, images are converted into text data, and the household budget is automatically updated.

[2085] It integrates with the IoT (Internet of Things) functionality of household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[2086] The system searches for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automates the purchase process.

[2087] Complete your purchase quickly through electronic payment.

[2088] 3. Household refrigerator:

[2089] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that can store and transmit inventory and expiration date information to a server.

[2090] Data handling and processing

[2091] User terminal:

[2092] The user terminal is used to input their target food budget, family composition, and dietary preferences.

[2093] Users take photos of receipts or food labels and send the image data to the server.

[2094] server:

[2095] The system receives data sent from the user's terminal, uses an algorithm to generate a menu and shopping list that consider nutritional balance and budget, and sends them back to the user's terminal.

[2096] Using OCR technology such as Pytesseract, image data is converted into text data. Then, the household budget is automatically updated.

[2097] The system periodically communicates with household refrigerators to obtain information on the contents and expiration dates. If necessary, it suggests specific recipes to reduce food waste and notifies the user's device.

[2098] The system uses e-commerce site APIs to search for suggested ingredients, presents the results in a user-friendly format, and automates the purchase process.

[2099] The payment process is expedited through the electronic payment API.

[2100] Specific example:

[2101] For example, if a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of "Japanese food" and "low-fat," the server will use this data to generate a nutritionally balanced menu (e.g., grilled fish, vegetable salad, miso soup) and a shopping list. After the user takes a picture of the receipt, the purchased ingredients and their amounts are automatically reflected in the household budget. Furthermore, by linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "the eggs expire in three days" is obtained, the server will suggest an egg-based recipe (e.g., omelet) and notify the user. The user can then search for more eggs on an e-commerce site and proceed with the purchase. Once the user confirms the details and completes the payment electronically, the eggs are delivered to their home.

[2102] Example of a prompt:

[2103] "Please suggest a Japanese meal menu for a family of four with a budget of 50,000 yen. We are limiting our preference to low-fat options. Please also generate a shopping list."

[2104] The flow of a specific process in Application Example 1 will be explained using Figure 12.

[2105] Step 1:

[2106] Users enter their target food budget, family size, and dietary preferences.

[2107] Users input their food budget target, family size, and dietary preferences using a smartphone or smart glasses. The system then retrieves the information the user needs. The entered data is sent to a server and stored in a database.

[2108] Input: Target amount for food expenses, family structure, dietary preferences

[2109] Output: Sending user data to the server

[2110] Step 2:

[2111] The server generates a menu and shopping list.

[2112] The server executes an algorithm to generate a meal plan and shopping list that takes into account nutritional balance and budget, based on the received food budget target, family size, and dietary preferences. This creates a meal plan and shopping list that is optimal for each household.

[2113] Input: User data (target food expenditure, family structure, dietary preferences)

[2114] Output: Menu and shopping list

[2115] Step 3:

[2116] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal.

[2117] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal. The user can then view this information on their smartphone or smart glasses.

[2118] Input: Menu and shopping list

[2119] Output: Sending data to the user terminal

[2120] Step 4:

[2121] Users take photos of receipts or food labels.

[2122] The user takes a picture of the receipt or food label of the purchased groceries using the camera on their smartphone or smart glasses. The captured image is sent to the server.

[2123] Input: Images of receipts or food labels

[2124] Output: Sending image data to the server

[2125] Step 5:

[2126] The server uses OCR technology to convert the image into text data.

[2127] The server uses OCR technology such as Pytesseract to analyze the received images and convert them into text data. The analyzed information is automatically reflected in the household budgeting system.

[2128] Input: Image data of receipts or food labels

[2129] Output: Text data and updated household ledger

[2130] Step 6:

[2131] The server connects with household refrigerators to retrieve inventory and expiration date information.

[2132] The server periodically acquires inventory and expiration date information through the IoT functionality of household refrigerators. The acquired data is stored on the server, and inventory and expiration date information is managed there.

[2133] Input: Inventory information and expiration date information in the refrigerator

[2134] Output: Updated inventory and expiration date information

[2135] Step 7:

[2136] The server suggests a specific recipe based on the information it has acquired and notifies the user's terminal.

[2137] The server generates recipes using food items that are nearing their expiration date, based on the acquired inventory and expiration date information. The generated recipes are then sent to the user's terminal.

[2138] Input: Updated inventory information and expiration date information

[2139] Output: Recipe and notification to user terminal

[2140] Step 8:

[2141] The server automatically searches for ingredients on e-commerce sites and processes the purchase.

[2142] The server automatically searches e-commerce sites based on the generated shopping list. The suggested ingredients are purchased online, and the user only needs to review and approve the order.

[2143] Input: Shopping list

[2144] Output: Online purchase procedure and purchase confirmation notification to the user's terminal.

[2145] Step 9:

[2146] The server executes the electronic payment.

[2147] The server uses an electronic payment API to quickly complete the payment for the purchase. Information about the completed purchase is then sent to the user's device.

[2148] Input: Purchase details

[2149] Output: Electronic payment completion notification and payment confirmation

[2150] Furthermore, an emotion engine that estimates the user's emotions may be incorporated. That is, the identification processing unit 290 may use the emotion identification model 59 to estimate the user's emotions and perform identification processing using the user's emotions.

[2151] This invention relates to a system that combines an emotion engine with a data management system for home electronic devices to generate menus and shopping lists optimized for the user's emotional state, as well as suggest ingredients, thereby reducing the burden on housewives and working women, and decreasing food waste. The configuration for implementing this system is described in detail below.

[2152] System Configuration

[2153] 1. User terminal:

[2154] User devices include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, and are equipped with input interfaces, cameras, microphones, and other features.

[2155] Users can use their device to input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[2156] It has a function to take pictures of receipts and food labels.

[2157] 2. Server:

[2158] The server receives and processes data sent by the user.

[2159] Based on your food budget target, family size, dietary preferences, and emotional state, the system generates a menu and shopping list that considers nutritional balance and budget.

[2160] It has the ability to recognize the user's emotional state from their voice and facial expressions using an emotion engine.

[2161] OCR technology is used to convert captured images into text data.

[2162] It has an automatic household budget update function.

[2163] It connects with household refrigerators to acquire and manage inventory and expiration date information.

[2164] Automate search and purchase procedures, as well as electronic payment, on e-commerce websites.

[2165] 3. Household refrigerator:

[2166] This is an IoT-enabled refrigerator that has the function of sending inventory information and expiration date information to a server.

[2167] System operation

[2168] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[2169] Users input their food budget target, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state using their user device. Emotional state may also be captured in real time using the device's camera and microphone. This data is transmitted to the server through the interface.

[2170] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes, with emotional adaptation.

[2171] The server runs an internal algorithm based on the received food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state to generate a menu and shopping list. In particular, it takes the user's emotional state into consideration; for example, if the user is feeling stressed, it suggests ingredients and recipes with relaxing effects. The generated data is then sent back to the user's terminal and displayed for the user to review.

[2172] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[2173] After shopping, the user takes photos of receipts and food labels using the camera on their device. The device uses OCR technology to convert the images into text data and sends it to the server. The server analyzes the text data and automatically updates the household budget.

[2174] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[2175] The server connects with household refrigerators to periodically retrieve inventory and expiration date information. This information is efficiently communicated to the user, and specific recipes are suggested for foods nearing their expiration date. The system also provides suggestions tailored to the user's emotional state.

[2176] Ingredient information and notifications

[2177] The server uses refrigerator inventory data to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients nearing their expiration date. Based on an emotion engine, for example, if the user is tired, it will suggest easy-to-prepare and nutritious meals. The suggestions are notified to the user's terminal, and the user can check them.

[2178] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[2179] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on an e-commerce site and initiates the purchase process. The order details are displayed on the user's terminal, and the user confirms the details and completes the purchase via electronic payment. The purchased ingredients are then delivered to the user's home.

[2180] Specific example

[2181] If a user sets a monthly food budget target of 50,000 yen, a family size of four, and dietary preferences of Japanese food and low fat, and the emotion engine detects that the user is stressed, the server generates a menu that is effective in reducing stress (e.g., steamed fish, mineral-rich vegetable salad, green tea, etc.) and sends it to the user's terminal along with a shopping list.

[2182] When a user takes a picture of their receipt after shopping, the device extracts data such as "Fish 500 yen, vegetables 300 yen, green tea 200 yen" and reflects it in their household budget. By linking with the refrigerator, if information such as "the fish expires in 3 days" is notified, the server will suggest a simple recipe using the fish.

[2183] The server searches e-commerce sites to purchase additional suggested ingredients and displays the order details on the user's terminal. Once the user confirms and completes payment electronically, the fish and vegetables are delivered to their home.

[2184] This improves the efficiency of household management, reduces user stress, and minimizes food waste.

[2185] The following describes the processing flow.

[2186] System-wide processing steps

[2187] Enter your food budget target and family composition.

[2188] Step 1:

[2189] The user launches the application on their device and accesses the settings screen.

[2190] Step 2:

[2191] Following the input form displayed on the device, the user enters their target food budget, family structure, food preferences, and current emotional state.

[2192] Step 3:

[2193] The user completes the input and presses the "Submit" button.

[2194] Step 4:

[2195] The terminal sends the input data to the server.

[2196] Automatic generation of menus, shopping lists, and recipes, with emotional adaptation.

[2197] Step 1:

[2198] The server receives data sent by the user.

[2199] Step 2:

[2200] The server uses an emotion engine to determine the user's emotional state.

[2201] Step 3:

[2202] Based on the food budget target, family structure, dietary preferences, and emotional state received by the server, it generates a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration.

[2203] Step 4:

[2204] The server sends the generated menu and shopping list to the terminal.

[2205] Step 5:

[2206] The device displays a menu and shopping list to the user.

[2207] Digitization of receipts and food labels

[2208] Step 1:

[2209] After shopping, the user takes a picture of the receipt or food label with the device's camera.

[2210] Step 2:

[2211] The device performs OCR processing on the captured image, converting the image data into text data.

[2212] Step 3:

[2213] The terminal sends the converted text data to the server.

[2214] Reflection in household budget

[2215] Step 1:

[2216] The server receives the OCR-processed text data.

[2217] Step 2:

[2218] The server analyzes the received data to identify the purchased items and their prices.

[2219] Step 3:

[2220] The household budget is updated based on the data from which the server was identified.

[2221] Step 4:

[2222] The server sends the updated household budget data to the terminal.

[2223] Step 5:

[2224] The device displays the updated household budget to the user.

[2225] Integration with the refrigerator and expiration date management

[2226] Step 1:

[2227] The server periodically retrieves inventory and expiration date information from household refrigerators.

[2228] Step 2:

[2229] The server organizes the data it acquires and manages inventory status and expiration dates.

[2230] Step 3:

[2231] The server notifies the user's terminal of information about food items nearing their expiration date, along with related recipes.

[2232] Step 4:

[2233] The device displays a notification to the user.

[2234] Ingredient information and notifications

[2235] Step 1:

[2236] The server uses an emotion engine to suggest recipes using leftovers and ingredients that are nearing their expiration date, based on the user's emotional state and refrigerator inventory data.

[2237] Step 2:

[2238] The server sends the proposal to the user's terminal.

[2239] Step 3:

[2240] The device displays suggestions to the user.

[2241] Step 4:

[2242] Users review the suggested recipes and use them as needed.

[2243] Automatic search, purchase, and payment.

[2244] Step 1:

[2245] The server automatically searches for the suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites.

[2246] Step 2:

[2247] The server initiates the purchase process based on the search results.

[2248] Step 3:

[2249] The server sends the order details to the user's terminal and prompts the user to confirm the order.

[2250] Step 4:

[2251] The terminal displays the order details to the user and asks for confirmation.

[2252] Step 5:

[2253] The user reviews the order details and confirms the purchase.

[2254] Step 6:

[2255] The user makes a payment using an electronic payment system.

[2256] Step 7:

[2257] The server confirms the completion of the purchase process and arranges for the delivery of the purchased ingredients.

[2258] These detailed processing steps reduce the burden on housewives and working women, and streamline household management. Furthermore, by combining this with an emotion engine, flexible and optimal suggestions tailored to the user's emotional state become possible, providing even greater convenience and satisfaction.

[2259] (Example 2)

[2260] Next, we will describe Example 2. In the following description, the data processing device 12 will be referred to as the "server" and the robot 414 as the "terminal".

[2261] In modern households, managing family meals and saving on food costs are ...

Claims

1. A system for managing data from home electronic devices, A means for inputting the target amount for food expenses, family structure, and dietary preferences, A means for generating a menu and shopping list that takes nutritional balance and budget into consideration based on the input data, A means for sending the generated menu and shopping list to the user's terminal, A method for photographing receipts and food labels and converting the captured images into text data, A method for updating the household budget based on converted text data, A means of obtaining inventory information and expiration date information in conjunction with a household refrigerator, A means of notifying the user terminal of the acquired information, A method to search for suggested ingredients on e-commerce sites and automate the purchase process, Means of executing electronic payments, A system that includes this.

2. In the system described in claim 1, A system further comprising means for suggesting recipes using leftovers based on inventory information and expiration date information obtained from the aforementioned household refrigerator.

3. In the system described in claim 1, The system uses a smartphone camera as the means of photographing the aforementioned receipt or food label.

4. In the system described in claim 1, A system further comprising means for presenting order details to the user's terminal and prompting confirmation based on the purchase procedure on the aforementioned e-commerce site.

Images