Information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

An information processing system (1) comprises a first acquisition unit (11), a second acquisition unit (12), a third acquisition unit (13), a decision unit (14), and a presentation unit (15). The first acquisition unit (11) acquires recipe information pertaining to a recipe of a dish desired by a subject. The second acquisition unit (12) acquires biological information of the subject. The third acquisition unit (13) acquires, on the basis of the biological information, restricted food item information pertaining to a restricted food item the subject is restricted from consuming. If the recipe includes the restricted food item, on the basis of the recipe information and the restricted food item information, the decision unit (14) decides a substitute food item on the basis of the degree of co-occurrence between one or more food items except for the restricted food item in the recipe and the substitute food item replacing the restricted food item, and the similarity of classification between the substitute food item and the restricted food item. The presentation unit (15) presents, to the subject, a substitute recipe in which the restricted food item is replaced by the substitute food item.

Description

Information processing system, information processing method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system that presents recipes to a target person.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a menu determination device for diabetics. This device extracts ingredients with low n-6 fatty acid content or high n-3 fatty acid content from among the ingredients that are interchangeable among the dish items that make up a menu, and specifies substitute ingredients from the extracted ingredients.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-252209

[0004] The present disclosure provides an information processing system and the like that makes it easy to improve the content of alternative recipes in which restricted ingredients are replaced with alternative ingredients.

[0005] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, a third acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a presentation unit. The first acquisition unit acquires recipe information related to a recipe for a dish desired by a subject. The second acquisition unit acquires biometric information of the subject. The third acquisition unit acquires restricted ingredient information related to restricted ingredients whose intake by the subject is restricted based on the biometric information. If the recipe includes the restricted ingredient, the determination unit determines the substitute ingredient based on the recipe information and the restricted ingredient information, based on the degree of co-occurrence of one or more ingredients other than the restricted ingredient in the recipe with an alternative ingredient that substitutes for the restricted ingredient, and the classification similarity between the alternative ingredient and the restricted ingredient. The presentation unit presents the subject with an alternative recipe in which the restricted ingredient is substituted with the alternative ingredient.

[0006] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure acquires recipe information related to a recipe for a dish desired by a subject. The information processing method acquires biometric information about the subject. The information processing method acquires restricted ingredient information related to restricted ingredients whose intake by the subject is restricted based on the biometric information. If the recipe includes the restricted ingredient, the information processing method determines the substitute ingredient based on the recipe information and the restricted ingredient information, based on the degree of co-occurrence of one or more ingredients other than the restricted ingredient in the recipe with an alternative ingredient that substitutes for the restricted ingredient, and on the similarity in classification between the alternative ingredient and the restricted ingredient. The information processing method presents the subject with an alternative recipe in which the restricted ingredient is replaced with the alternative ingredient.

[0007] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes one or more processors to execute the information processing method.

[0008] The information processing system and the like according to the present disclosure has the advantage that it is easy to improve the content of alternative recipes in which restricted ingredients are replaced with alternative ingredients.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating a correlation between a disease and a nutrient stored in a second storage unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of information related to allergies stored in the second storage unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of co-occurrence information stored in a third storage unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information referenced by an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of information referenced by an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including an information processing system according to a modified example of an embodiment.

[0010] (Findings that Form the Basis of the Present Disclosure) First, the inventor's point of view will be explained below.

[0011] In recent years, people have become increasingly interested in health-conscious diets due to factors such as the increase in lifestyle-related diseases and the promotion of dietary education. Furthermore, the widespread use of recipe publishing, such as publishing recipes online, has made it easier for people to obtain health-conscious recipes. However, recipes published online are not targeted to specific individuals, and simply acquiring a recipe can make it difficult for users of the recipe to adopt a health-conscious diet on a daily basis. For example, if a user suffers from a lifestyle-related disease or an allergic disease, the user may need to substitute ingredients (restricted ingredients) that the user is restricted from consuming in the acquired recipe with other ingredients (alternative ingredients).

[0012] Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for substituting restricted ingredients included in a recipe with ingredients that are diabetes-conscious. However, the technology disclosed in Patent Literature 1 has a problem in that a dish prepared according to a recipe using substitute ingredients (alternative recipe) may have a different taste from a dish prepared according to the original recipe, which may deviate from the dish desired by the user, and there is room for improvement.

[0013] In view of the above, the inventors have come up with the present disclosure.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of well-known matters or redundant explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following explanation and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0015] The inventors have provided the accompanying drawings and the following description to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and do not intend for them to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0016] (Embodiment) An information processing system 1 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration including the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. In the embodiment, the information processing system 1 is used to present a recipe for a dish desired by a subject. Specifically, when presenting a recipe for a dish desired by a subject, the information processing system 1 presents the recipe if the recipe does not contain any restricted ingredients that the subject is restricted from consuming. On the other hand, if the recipe contains any restricted ingredients, the information processing system 1 presents an alternative recipe using alternative ingredients to replace the restricted ingredients.

[0017] In the embodiment, the information processing system 1 is configured by, for example, a server. In addition, in the embodiment, the information processing system 1 is described as being used by one person, but the number of people may be multiple. In the case where there are multiple people, the information processing system 1 presents a recipe for each person.

[0018] The information processing system 1 includes a processor and a memory, and is configured such that the processor executes a program stored in the memory to thereby perform the functions of a first acquisition unit 11, a second acquisition unit 12, a third acquisition unit 13, a determination unit 14, a presentation unit 15, and a first determination unit 16. In other words, the information processing system 1 includes the first acquisition unit 11, the second acquisition unit 12, the third acquisition unit 13, the determination unit 14, the presentation unit 15, and the first determination unit 16.

[0019] In the embodiment, the information processing system 1 further includes a first storage unit 31, a second storage unit 32, and a third storage unit 33. Note that the first storage unit 31, the second storage unit 32, and the third storage unit 33 do not necessarily have to be components of the information processing system 1.

[0020] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the information processing system 1 has a function of communicating with the information processing terminal 2 via a network NT1 such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). The communication between the information processing system 1 and the information processing terminal 2 is wireless communication in accordance with a standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). The standard of communication between the information processing system 1 and the information processing terminal 2 is not particularly limited. The communication between the information processing system 1 and the information processing terminal 2 may be wired communication in addition to wireless communication via the network NT1.

[0021] The information processing terminal 2 is a terminal used by the subject person, and may include, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a desktop or laptop personal computer, etc. In the embodiment, the information processing terminal 2 is a smartphone.

[0022] The first acquisition unit 11 acquires recipe information related to a recipe for a dish desired by the subject. In this embodiment, the first acquisition unit 11 acquires information related to a dish input by the subject on the information processing terminal 2 through communication via the network NT1. The first acquisition unit 11 then acquires the recipe information by referring to the information stored in the first storage unit 31 and reading out information on the recipe corresponding to the acquired dish.

[0023] The first storage unit 31 is a storage device that stores information referenced when the first acquisition unit 11 acquires recipe information. The first storage unit 31 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory, but is not particularly limited and any known electronic information storage means can be used.

[0024] The first memory unit 31 stores information for each recipe, such as the name of the dish, the ingredients and seasonings used in the dish, the main ingredients used in the dish, the classification of the main cooking steps of the dish, the classification of the cooking steps for the dish, the genre of the dish, the standard time required for cooking, the nutritional value of the dish, and the cooking procedure. The classification of the main cooking steps of the dish may include, for example, simmered dishes, stir-fries, or soups. The classification of the cooking steps for the dish is a sub-concept of the classification of the main cooking steps of the dish, and may be not limited to one type, but may be multiple types. The genre of the dish may include, for example, Japanese, Western, or Chinese. The nutritional value may include values ​​such as energy, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, salt, dietary fiber, potassium, or cholesterol.

[0025] The second acquisition unit 12 acquires biometric information of the subject. The biometric information may include information such as the subject's gender, age, height, weight, or activity level. The biometric information may also include information regarding a disease from which the subject suffers. The disease may include lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, liver disease, hypertension, heart disease, or cerebrovascular disease, or allergic diseases. The biometric information may also include information regarding a disease that the subject wishes to prevent. For example, the biometric information may include information indicating that the subject is on a diet.

[0026] In the embodiment, the second acquisition unit 12 acquires, for example, biometric information input by the subject on the information processing terminal 2 through communication via the network NT1. That is, the second acquisition unit 12 acquires biometric information self-reported by the subject. Alternatively, the second acquisition unit 12 may acquire biometric information through communication via the network NT1 from, for example, a server operated by a hospital or the like used by the subject. In this case, the second acquisition unit 12 acquires biometric information including the subject's medical examination results or the subject's health check results from the server.

[0027] The third acquisition unit 13 acquires restricted ingredient information regarding restricted ingredients whose intake by the subject is restricted, based on the biometric information acquired by the second acquisition unit 12. In the embodiment, the third acquisition unit 13 acquires the restricted ingredient information by referring to the information stored in the second storage unit 32 and reading out information on the restricted ingredients corresponding to the acquired biometric information.

[0028] In an embodiment, the restricted ingredients include at least one of ingredients whose intake is restricted due to the subject's disease, ingredients whose intake is prohibited due to medications the subject is taking, and ingredients whose intake is prohibited due to the subject's allergies. Here, ingredients whose intake is restricted due to the subject's disease may include, for example, ingredients whose intake is prohibited due to the subject's disease, or ingredients whose intake would result in excessive intake of certain nutrients and may have a negative effect on the subject's disease.

[0029] The second storage unit 32 is a storage device that stores information referenced when the third acquisition unit 13 acquires the restricted ingredient information. The second storage unit 32 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory, but is not particularly limited and any known electronic information storage means can be used.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating the correlation between diseases and nutrients stored in the second storage unit 32. The example shown in FIG. 2 shows the intake limit or recommended intake amount of nutrients for each of hypertension, type II diabetes, dyslipidemia, and when no selection is made (no disease). In the example shown in FIG. 2, the nutrients are lipids, carbohydrates, salt equivalent, potassium, and cholesterol. Although not included in FIG. 2, it is desirable to consume 7.0 g or more of dietary fiber regardless of whether or not the patient has a disease.

[0031] The third acquisition unit 13 references information indicating the correlation between diseases and nutrients as shown in FIG. 2 and determines, based on the acquired biological information (here, information about the subject's disease), nutrients whose intake should be restricted in accordance with the subject's disease. For example, if the subject's disease is dyslipidemia caused by high cholesterol levels, the third acquisition unit 13 determines lipids, salt, and cholesterol as nutrients whose intake should be restricted. The third acquisition unit 13 then acquires restricted ingredient information by determining, as restricted ingredients, the ingredients that contain the highest amount of the determined nutrients among multiple ingredients included in the recipe in the recipe information acquired by the first acquisition unit 11. Note that the number of restricted ingredients may be one or more. The third acquisition unit 13 may also determine, as restricted ingredients, ingredients whose determined nutrients are equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0032] 3 is a diagram showing an example of information related to allergies stored in the second storage unit 32. The information related to allergies is also referenced by the determination unit 14 when determining substitute ingredients, and may therefore be stored in the third storage unit 33, which will be described later. The example shown in FIG. 3 shows foods and processed foods that are prohibited for people with egg allergies, milk allergies, wheat allergies, and soy allergies. The example shown in FIG. 3 also shows substitute ingredients that can be substituted for the prohibited foods and processed foods, as well as cooking tips for alternative recipes using the substitute ingredients.

[0033] The third acquisition unit 13 references the allergy information shown in Figure 3 and determines prohibited ingredients corresponding to the subject's allergies based on the acquired biometric information (here, information about the subject's allergies). For example, if the subject is allergic to eggs, the third acquisition unit 13 determines eggs such as chicken eggs, mayonnaise, or bread as ingredients whose intake should be prohibited. Then, if the determined ingredients are included in the multiple ingredients included in the recipe in the recipe information acquired by the first acquisition unit 11, the third acquisition unit 13 acquires restricted ingredient information with the ingredients as restricted ingredients.

[0034] If the subject has no disease or allergy, the third acquisition unit 13 acquires restricted ingredient information indicating that there are no restricted ingredients.

[0035] The determination unit 14 determines an alternative ingredient to substitute for a restricted ingredient when a recipe includes a restricted ingredient based on the recipe information obtained by the first acquisition unit 11 and the restricted ingredient information obtained by the third acquisition unit 13. In other words, the determination unit 14 does not determine an alternative ingredient when a recipe does not include a restricted ingredient. Specifically, when a recipe includes a restricted ingredient, the determination unit 14 determines an alternative ingredient based on the degree of co-occurrence of the alternative ingredient with one or more ingredients other than the restricted ingredient in the recipe (hereinafter also referred to as "remaining ingredients") and the classification similarity between the alternative ingredient and the restricted ingredient.

[0036] In the embodiment, the determination unit 14 refers to the co-occurrence information stored in the third storage unit 33 to determine candidate substitute ingredients to substitute for remaining ingredients included in a recipe. The third storage unit 33 is a storage device that stores information referenced by the determination unit 14 when determining substitute ingredients. In the embodiment, the third storage unit 33 stores the co-occurrence information and classification information described below. The third storage unit 33 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory, but is not particularly limited and any known electronic information storage means can be used.

[0037] Co-occurrence information is information that indicates the frequency or proportion of ingredients that are used together with the ingredient during cooking. For example, if the ingredient in question is carrot, the co-occurrence information indicates the frequency or proportion of ingredients that are used together with carrot, such as radish, potato, or beef. Co-occurrence information can be generated, for example, by analyzing a large number of recipes that are publicly available.

[0038] More specifically, for example, if the recipe is meat and potato stew, potatoes, carrots, onions, and beef are used as ingredients for meat and potato stew. Also, for example, if the recipe is curry, potatoes, carrots, onions, and beef are used as ingredients for curry. Therefore, if only these recipes are analyzed, potatoes, onions, and beef are ingredients that are frequently or frequently used together with carrots, in other words, ingredients that go well with or are eaten together with carrots, and therefore potatoes, onions, and beef can be candidates for substitute ingredients for carrots.

[0039] 4 is a diagram showing an example of co-occurrence information stored in the third storage unit 33. In the example shown in Fig. 4, "ingredient" represents the target ingredient, in other words, the remaining ingredient, and "candidate ingredients for substitute ingredients" represent candidates for ingredients that can replace the restricted ingredient. In addition, in the example shown in Fig. 4, "probability" represents the probability that a candidate ingredient for a substitute ingredient will appear in all recipes in which the remaining ingredient appears.

[0040] The probabilities may also be stored as co-occurrence information for each food genre or cooking step of the food. In this case, it becomes easier to determine ingredients that belong to the same genre or cooking step as the remaining ingredients as candidates for substitute ingredients, and it becomes easier to determine ingredients that are more compatible or go well with the remaining ingredients as candidates for substitute ingredients. For example, assume that the dish desired by the subject is meat and potatoes. Meat and potatoes belong to the "Japanese" cooking genre and the main cooking step is "simmered food." Therefore, in this case, the determination unit 14 determines candidates for substitute ingredients by referring to the co-occurrence information where the cooking genre is "Japanese" and the main cooking step is "simmered food."

[0041] The determination unit 14 determines substitute ingredient candidates for each remaining ingredient by referencing co-occurrence information such as that shown in FIG. 4 . For example, if the remaining ingredient is carrot, the determination unit 14 may determine potato, which has the highest probability, as the substitute ingredient candidate. The determination unit 14 may determine multiple substitute ingredient candidates instead of just one. For example, if there are multiple remaining ingredients and multiple substitute ingredient candidates that are common to all of the remaining ingredients, the determination unit 14 may determine one or more ingredients from the multiple substitute ingredient candidates that have a probability equal to or greater than a threshold as substitute ingredient candidates. If there is no substitute ingredient candidate that is common to all of the remaining ingredients, the determination unit 14 may determine an ingredient that is common to a relatively large number of remaining ingredients as the substitute ingredient candidate.

[0042] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the determination unit 14 refers to the classification information stored in the third storage unit 33, and determines, from the determined candidate substitute ingredients, ingredients that belong to the same group as or a similar group to the group of the restricted ingredient as substitute ingredients.

[0043] Here, a group is a collection of ingredients that have a common characteristic, such as the type of ingredient, and the classification information includes information on multiple groups.

[0044] For example, ingredients such as Chinese cabbage, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, green onions, and onions are classified into the leafy vegetable group. Also, ingredients such as radish, carrot, burdock, lotus root, and potatoes are classified into the root vegetable group. Also, ingredients such as shiitake mushroom, king oyster mushroom, shimeji mushroom, enoki mushroom, and mushroom are classified into the mushroom group. Also, ingredients such as horse mackerel, saury, sardines, and mackerel are classified into the red fish group. Also, ingredients such as salmon, sea bream, and cod are classified into the white fish group.

[0045] For example, if the determined candidates for substitute ingredients are potato, onion, and beef, and the restricted ingredient is carrot, the determination unit 14 determines potato, which is included in the root vegetable group to which carrot belongs, as the substitute ingredient by referring to the classification information.

[0046] The classification information may include information on multiple groups classified with a common characteristic being texture based on onomatopoeia, for example. The classification information may also include information on multiple groups classified with a common characteristic being quantitative parameters that can be expressed numerically, such as the hardness or sweetness of ingredients. The classification information may also include information on multiple groups classified with a common characteristic being qualitative parameters that have been evaluated as similar by multiple users. The classification information may also include information on multiple groups classified with a common characteristic being the color of ingredients, such as green and yellow vegetables. The classification information may also include information on multiple groups classified with a common characteristic being the nutrients they contain.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of information referenced by the determination unit 14 of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of information referenced by the determination unit 14 of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. (a) of FIG. 5 shows the energy, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content per 100 g of pork by type, and (b) of FIG. 5 shows the energy, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content per 100 g of beef by type. (c) of FIG. 5 shows the energy, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content per 100 g of chicken by type, and (d) of FIG. 5 shows the energy, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content per 100 g of processed meat by type. FIG. 6 also shows the energy, protein, and lipid content of a "sautéed" dish by the ingredients used (here, beef, pork, chicken, and processed meat).

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, the fat content of both pork and beef varies greatly between "lean" and "fatty." The fat content of chicken also varies greatly between "skin-on" and "skinless" for both "breast" and "thigh." Processed meats have a high fat content because fat is added during processing or because relatively fatty parts are processed.

[0049] For example, the determination unit 14 determines a substitute ingredient based on the data shown in Figures 5 and 6, i.e., information on groups of ingredients that share common characteristics in terms of the energy and nutrients they contain. As an example, suppose that a subject is on a diet and the dish the subject desires is sautéed. In this case, a restricted ingredient would be an ingredient that is relatively high in energy and fat, such as "fatty" beef. The determination unit 14 then determines, for example, "lean" beef as a substitute ingredient by referring to the data in Figures 5 and 6. Note that when determining a substitute ingredient, the determination unit 14 may consider not only the balance of energy and fat content, but also the balance of protein and carbohydrate content.

[0050] The presentation unit 15 presents an alternative recipe in which restricted ingredients are substituted with alternative ingredients to the subject. Specifically, the presentation unit 15 transmits a signal containing information indicating the alternative recipe to the information processing terminal 2 via the network NT1. Upon receiving the signal, the information processing terminal 2 displays the information contained in the signal on a built-in display. This presents the alternative recipe to the subject. Note that if the recipe in the recipe information does not contain any restricted ingredients, the presentation unit 15 presents the recipe.

[0051] In addition, when presenting an alternative recipe, if the first judgment unit 16 described later determines that the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe is insufficient, the presentation unit 15 further presents additional ingredients or additional recipes that can be used to ingest the amount of nutrients that is insufficient.

[0052] The additional ingredients are ingredients to be added to the alternative recipe. The determination unit 14 determines the additional ingredients by, for example, performing a process similar to the process for determining the alternative ingredients. When presenting the additional ingredients, the presentation unit 15 may also present optimal cooking steps for adding the additional ingredients to the alternative recipe.

[0053] The additional recipe is a recipe for a dish to be added separately from the dish indicated by the alternative recipe, which is a recipe for a single dish such as sliced ​​tomatoes or steamed vegetables. The determination unit 14 determines the additional recipe by referring to the recipe information stored in the first storage unit 31, for example.

[0054] In addition, if the ingredients used in the alternative recipe can make up for the lack of nutrients, the presentation unit 15 may present an alternative recipe that uses an increased amount of the ingredients.

[0055] The first determination unit 16 determines whether the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe presented by the presentation unit 15 is insufficient compared to the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest based on the biometric information acquired by the second acquisition unit 12. Here, the amount of nutrients refers to the amount of each nutrient, such as protein, lipid, carbohydrate, salt equivalent, dietary fiber, potassium, and cholesterol.

[0056] Specifically, the first determination unit 16 calculates the amount of nutrients per meal that the subject should ingest based on the subject's gender, age, height, weight, activity level, and other biometric information. If the subject has a disease, the first determination unit 16 calculates the amount of nutrients per meal that the subject should ingest, taking into account the amounts of nutrients that require special attention for the disease. The first determination unit 16 also calculates the amount of nutrients per meal that can be ingested using the alternative recipe. The first determination unit 16 then compares these amounts of nutrients per meal to determine whether the alternative recipe contains a nutrient deficiency. If a nutrient deficiency exists, the first determination unit 16 calculates the nutrient and its amount that is lacking.

[0057] 2. Operation An example of operation of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will now be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0058] First, the first acquisition unit 11 acquires recipe information (S1). Here, the first acquisition unit 11 acquires information about a dish input by the subject on the information processing terminal 2 through communication via the network NT1. Then, the first acquisition unit 11 acquires the recipe information by referring to the information stored in the first storage unit 31 and reading out information about the recipe corresponding to the acquired dish.

[0059] Next, the second acquisition unit 12 acquires the biometric information (S2). Here, the second acquisition unit 12 acquires, for example, the biometric information input by the subject on the information processing terminal 2 through communication via the network NT1.

[0060] Next, the third acquisition unit 13 acquires the restricted ingredient information (S3). Here, the third acquisition unit 13 acquires the restricted ingredient information by referencing the information stored in the second storage unit 32 and reading out the information on the restricted ingredient corresponding to the acquired biological information.

[0061] Next, if the recipe includes a restricted ingredient (S4: Yes), the determination unit 14 determines a substitute ingredient to replace the restricted ingredient (S5) based on the recipe information obtained by the first acquisition unit 11 and the restricted ingredient information obtained by the third acquisition unit 13. Here, the determination unit 14 performs a process of determining candidate substitute ingredients by referring to the co-occurrence information, and then performs a process of determining a candidate substitute ingredient from the candidate substitute ingredients by referring to the classification information.

[0062] The presentation unit 15 presents an alternative recipe in which the restricted ingredients are replaced with substitute ingredients (S6). Here, the presentation unit 15 presents the alternative recipe to the subject by transmitting a signal including information indicating the alternative recipe to the information processing terminal 2 via the network NT1. On the other hand, if the recipe does not include any restricted ingredients (S4: No), the presentation unit 15 presents the recipe (S9).

[0063] When the presentation unit 15 presents an alternative recipe, the first determination unit 16 determines whether the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe is insufficient relative to the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest (S7). Here, the first determination unit 16 determines whether the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe is insufficient by comparing the amount of nutrients per meal that the subject should ingest with the amount of nutrients that can be ingested per meal in the alternative recipe. If the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe is insufficient (S7: Yes), the presentation unit 15 further presents additional ingredients or additional recipes that can ingest the missing amount of nutrients (S8). On the other hand, if the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe is not insufficient (S7: No), the presentation unit 15 does not present additional ingredients or additional recipes.

[0064] [3. Advantages] The advantages of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described below. As already mentioned, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to, for example, substitute restricted ingredients included in a recipe for a dish desired by a subject with alternative ingredients. However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that a dish cooked according to a recipe using alternative ingredients may taste different from a dish cooked according to the recipe for the dish desired by the subject, and may deviate from the content of the dish desired by the subject.

[0065] In contrast, the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment does not simply substitute restricted ingredients with alternative ingredients, but determines substitute ingredients based on the degree of co-occurrence between the remaining ingredients and the alternative ingredients and the classification similarity between the alternative ingredients and the restricted ingredients, making it easier to make the content of the alternative recipe using the alternative ingredients closer to the content of the recipe for the dish desired by the subject. Therefore, the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment has the advantage of easily improving the content of the alternative recipe in which restricted ingredients are substituted with alternative ingredients.

[0066] If substitute ingredients are determined without considering the degree of co-occurrence between remaining ingredients and substitute ingredients, or the similarity in classification between substitute ingredients and restricted ingredients, the content of the substitute recipe is likely to deviate from the content of the recipe for the dish desired by the subject. Specifically, if the restricted ingredient is potato, and an ingredient belonging to a different group from potato, such as meat or fruit, is determined as the substitute ingredient, the taste of the dish cooked according to the substitute recipe will deviate from the taste of the dish desired by the subject. On the other hand, in such cases, the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment can determine ingredients belonging to the same group as potato as the substitute ingredient. Therefore, the taste of the dish cooked according to the substitute recipe is less likely to deviate from the taste of the dish desired by the subject, and the content of the substitute recipe is more likely to be improved.

[0067] [4. Modifications] As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which appropriate modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the above embodiments to create new embodiments.

[0068] Therefore, modifications of the embodiment will be exemplified below.

[0069] 8 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including an information processing system 1A according to a modification of the embodiment. The information processing system 1A according to the modification differs from the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment in that it further includes a second determination unit 17. The information processing system 1A according to the modification also differs from the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment in that the presentation unit 15 further presents dietary advice to the subject. Hereinafter, a description of the points common to the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be omitted.

[0070] The second determination unit 17 determines whether the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe presented by the presentation unit 15 is insufficient or excessive relative to the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest over a predetermined period based on the biometric information. Specifically, like the first determination unit 16, the second determination unit 17 calculates the amount of nutrients per meal that the subject should ingest based on the biometric information, such as the subject's gender, age, height, weight, and activity level. Here, if the subject has a disease, the first determination unit 16 calculates the amount of nutrients per meal that the subject should ingest, taking into account the amounts of nutrients that require attention for the disease. The second determination unit 17 then calculates the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest over a predetermined period (e.g., several days or a week) by multiplying the calculated amount of nutrients per meal by the number of meals eaten over a predetermined period (e.g., several days or a week).

[0071] Furthermore, the second determination unit 17 calculates the amount of nutrients per meal of the alternative recipe presented by the presentation unit 15. For example, when the second determination unit 17 receives input of the details of a dish cooked by the subject according to an alternative recipe via the information processing terminal 2, it calculates the amount of nutrients per meal based on the input details of the dish. For example, when the second determination unit 17 receives input of an image of a dish cooked by the subject according to an alternative recipe via the information processing terminal 2, it calculates the amount of nutrients per meal based on the image. Next, the second determination unit 17 calculates the amount of nutrients ingested by the subject during a predetermined period by calculating the above-mentioned amount of nutrients for each dish cooked by the subject during that period. Then, the second determination unit 17 determines whether the amount of nutrients ingested by the subject during that period is insufficient or excessive compared to the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest during that period.

[0072] The presentation unit 15 further presents dietary advice to the subject at each predetermined period based on the determination result of the second determination unit 17. For example, if the amount of protein ingested by the subject in a predetermined period is less than the amount of protein that the subject should ingest in the predetermined period, the presentation unit 15 presents the subject with advice to eat a diet high in protein.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the determination unit 14 first determines substitute ingredient candidates by referring to the co-occurrence information, and then determines substitute ingredients from the substitute ingredient candidates by referring to the classification information. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the determination unit 14 may first determine substitute ingredient candidates by referring to the classification information, and then determine substitute ingredients from the substitute ingredient candidates by referring to the co-occurrence information. Note that the former method makes it easier to narrow down the substitute ingredient candidates compared to the latter method, thereby reducing the processing load.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the information processing system 1 includes the first determination unit 16, but the information processing system 1 may not include the first determination unit 16. In this case, the presentation unit 15 of the information processing system 1 does not present additional ingredients or additional recipes.

[0075] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, a home appliance for cooking, such as a microwave oven, may have the function of the information processing terminal 2. In this case, the home appliance functions as the information processing terminal 2, and the information processing terminal 2 is not necessary.

[0076] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the information processing system 1 is realized by a server, but this is not limiting. For example, the information processing system 1 may be realized by an information processing terminal 2. In this case, a server is not required.

[0077] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the information processing system 1 is realized as a single device, but it may be realized by multiple devices. When the information processing system 1 is realized by multiple devices, the components of the information processing system 1 may be distributed among the multiple devices in any manner. In other words, the present disclosure may be realized by cloud computing or edge computing.

[0078] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, all or some of the components of the information processing system 1 in the present disclosure may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or semiconductor memory.

[0079] Furthermore, the components of the information processing system 1 according to the present disclosure may be configured with one or more electronic circuits. Each of the one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0080] The one or more electronic circuits may include, for example, a semiconductor device, an integrated circuit (IC), or a large-scale integration (LSI). The IC or LSI may be integrated on a single chip or on multiple chips. Although the IC or LSI is referred to here as an IC or LSI, the name may vary depending on the degree of integration, and may be called a system LSI, a very large-scale integration (VLSI), or an ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI). A field programmable gate array (FPGA), which is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, can also be used for the same purpose.

[0081] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present disclosure may be realized as a system, device, method, integrated circuit, or computer program. Alternatively, the computer program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as an optical disc, HDD, or semiconductor memory. For example, the present disclosure may be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method of the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the program may be recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be distributed via a communication channel such as the Internet.

[0082] As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology in the present disclosure, and for that purpose, the accompanying drawings and detailed description have been provided.

[0083] Therefore, the components shown in the accompanying drawings and detailed description may include not only essential components for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem in order to illustrate the above technology. Therefore, the fact that these non-essential components are shown in the accompanying drawings or detailed description should not be interpreted as immediately indicating that these non-essential components are essential.

[0084] Furthermore, since the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0085] (Summary) As described above, the information processing system 1, 1A according to the first aspect includes a first acquisition unit 11, a second acquisition unit 12, a third acquisition unit 13, a determination unit 14, and a presentation unit 15. The first acquisition unit 11 acquires recipe information related to a recipe for a dish desired by the subject. The second acquisition unit 12 acquires biometric information about the subject. The third acquisition unit 13 acquires restricted ingredient information related to restricted ingredients whose intake by the subject is restricted based on the biometric information. If a recipe includes a restricted ingredient, the determination unit 14 determines a substitute ingredient based on the recipe information and the restricted ingredient information, based on the degree of co-occurrence of one or more ingredients excluding the restricted ingredient in the recipe with an alternative ingredient that substitutes for the restricted ingredient, and the classification similarity between the alternative ingredient and the restricted ingredient. The presentation unit 15 presents an alternative recipe in which the restricted ingredient is substituted with an alternative ingredient to the subject.

[0086] This method does not simply substitute restricted ingredients with alternative ingredients, but also determines alternative ingredients based on the degree of co-occurrence between the remaining ingredients and the alternative ingredients and the classification similarity between the alternative ingredients and restricted ingredients, making it easier to make alternative recipes using alternative ingredients closer to the recipe of the dish desired by the subject.This has the advantage of making it easier to improve the content of alternative recipes in which restricted ingredients are substituted with alternative ingredients.

[0087] Also, for example, in the information processing system 1, 1A relating to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the restricted ingredients include at least one of ingredients whose intake is restricted due to the subject's disease, ingredients whose intake is prohibited due to medications taken by the subject, and ingredients whose intake is prohibited due to the subject's allergies.

[0088] This has the advantage that ingredients that have a negative effect on the subject's health can be replaced with alternative ingredients, making it easier to improve the content of the alternative recipe to take the subject's health into consideration.

[0089] Furthermore, for example, the information processing system 1, 1A according to the third aspect further includes a first determination unit 16 that determines whether the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe presented by the presentation unit 15 is insufficient compared to the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest based on the biological information in the first or second aspect. When the first determination unit 16 determines that the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe is insufficient, the presentation unit 15 further presents additional ingredients or additional recipes that can provide the missing amount of nutrients.

[0090] This has the advantage that by changing from the recipe of the dish that the subject wants to eat to an alternative recipe, the missing amount of nutrients can be made up for with additional ingredients or recipes, making it easier to ensure that the subject gets the amount of nutrients they need.

[0091] Furthermore, for example, the information processing system 1A according to the fourth aspect is any one of the first to third aspects and further includes a second determination unit 17 that determines whether the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe presented by the presentation unit 15 is insufficient or excessive relative to the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest in a predetermined period based on the biological information. The presentation unit 15 further presents dietary advice to the subject for each predetermined period based on the determination result of the second determination unit 17.

[0092] This has the advantage that dietary advice is presented to the subject at predetermined intervals, making it easier for the subject to improve their diet so that they consume appropriate amounts of nutrients based on the advice.

[0093] In addition, for example, in an information processing method according to a fifth aspect, recipe information related to a recipe for a dish desired by a subject is acquired (S1). In the information processing method, biometric information of the subject is acquired (S2). In the information processing method, restricted ingredient information related to restricted ingredients whose intake by the subject is restricted is acquired based on the biometric information (S3). If the recipe includes a restricted ingredient based on the recipe information and the restricted ingredient information (S4: Yes), the information processing method determines a substitute ingredient based on the degree of co-occurrence of one or more ingredients other than the restricted ingredient in the recipe with an alternative ingredient that substitutes for the restricted ingredient, and the classification similarity between the alternative ingredient and the restricted ingredient (S5). In the information processing method, an alternative recipe in which the restricted ingredient is replaced with the alternative ingredient is presented to the subject (S6).

[0094] This method does not simply substitute restricted ingredients with alternative ingredients, but also determines alternative ingredients based on the degree of co-occurrence between the remaining ingredients and the alternative ingredients and the classification similarity between the alternative ingredients and restricted ingredients, making it easier to make alternative recipes using alternative ingredients closer to the recipe of the dish desired by the subject.This has the advantage of making it easier to improve the content of alternative recipes in which restricted ingredients are substituted with alternative ingredients.

[0095] Also, for example, a program according to a sixth aspect causes one or more processors to execute the information processing method according to the fifth aspect.

[0096] This method does not simply substitute restricted ingredients with alternative ingredients, but also determines alternative ingredients based on the degree of co-occurrence between the remaining ingredients and the alternative ingredients and the classification similarity between the alternative ingredients and restricted ingredients, making it easier to make alternative recipes using alternative ingredients closer to the recipe of the dish desired by the subject.This has the advantage of making it easier to improve the content of alternative recipes in which restricted ingredients are substituted with alternative ingredients.

[0097] The present disclosure is applicable to systems that present recipes to subjects, etc.

[0098] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1A Information processing system 11 First acquisition unit 12 Second acquisition unit 13 Third acquisition unit 14 Determination unit 15 Presentation unit 16 First determination unit 17 Second determination unit 2 Information processing terminal 31 First storage unit 32 Second storage unit 33 Third storage unit NT1 Network

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising: a first acquisition unit that acquires recipe information related to a recipe for a dish desired by a subject; a second acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of the subject; a third acquisition unit that acquires restricted ingredient information related to restricted ingredients whose intake by the subject is restricted based on the biometric information; a determination unit that, based on the recipe information and the restricted ingredient information, determines a substitute ingredient if the recipe includes a restricted ingredient based on the degree of co-occurrence of one or more ingredients excluding the restricted ingredient in the recipe with an alternative ingredient that substitutes for the restricted ingredient, and on the similarity in classification between the alternative ingredient and the restricted ingredient; and a presentation unit that presents to the subject an alternative recipe in which the restricted ingredient is substituted with the alternative ingredient.

2. The information processing system of claim 1, wherein the restricted ingredients include at least one of ingredients whose intake is restricted due to the subject's disease, ingredients whose intake is prohibited due to medications the subject is taking, and ingredients whose intake is prohibited due to the subject's allergies.

3. An information processing system as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a first judgment unit that judges whether the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe presented by the presentation unit is insufficient compared to the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest based on the biometric information, and when the first judgment unit determines that the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe is insufficient, the presentation unit further presents additional ingredients or additional recipes that can be used to ingest the missing amount of nutrients.

4. An information processing system as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second judgment unit that judges whether the amount of nutrients in the alternative recipe presented by the presentation unit is insufficient or excessive compared to the amount of nutrients that the subject should ingest over a specified period based on the biometric information, and the presentation unit further presents dietary advice to the subject for each specified period based on the judgment result of the second judgment unit.

5. An information processing method comprising: acquiring recipe information relating to a recipe for a dish desired by a subject; acquiring biometric information of the subject; acquiring restricted ingredient information relating to restricted ingredients whose intake by the subject is restricted based on the biometric information; and, if the recipe contains a restricted ingredient based on the recipe information and the restricted ingredient information, determining a substitute ingredient based on the degree of co-occurrence between one or more ingredients excluding the restricted ingredient in the recipe and an alternative ingredient that substitutes for the restricted ingredient, and the similarity in classification between the alternative ingredient and the restricted ingredient; and presenting an alternative recipe in which the restricted ingredient is replaced with the alternative ingredient to the subject.

6. A program causing one or more processors to execute the information processing method according to claim 5.

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