Information processing device, program, and method

Abstract

A service providing company 1 operates a meal delivery service that is provided to a user 2 by delivery of a meal package 3 or transmission of recipe information 4 for one meal. The meal package 3 can contain different types of dishes 30 such as a staple food, a main dish, a soup, and a side dish. Each dish 30 is modularized so as to be provided by one or more food modules 300. By this modularization, the number of types of dishes 30 that can be provided by two or more food modules 300 depends on the number of modularizations and the number of food modules 300. Therefore, the total number of food modules 300 can be made smaller than the number of types of dishes 30 that can be provided.

Description

Information processing apparatus, program, and method

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a program, and a method.

[0002] Currently, a meal delivery service that delivers food for meals to a designated location is provided for users who are general customers. Meals are mainly provided in the form of bento boxes. A bento box is generally one container packed with a plurality of dishes including one or more types of staple food and one or more types of main dish. As a bento box, in addition to a container packed with a plurality of dishes, there may also be one or more containers each packed with a single dish.

[0003] For such bento boxes, it is necessary to determine the menu and prepare the dishes for each individual bento box. However, it is common for people to have certain likes and dislikes. Therefore, it is practically impossible to prepare a bento box that only contains dishes acceptable to all users. For this reason, some service providers that offer meal delivery services store each dish in a separate container, allowing users to determine a menu by arbitrarily combining dishes (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] When each dish is stored in a separate container, each dish in the proposed menu can be presented to the user as being changeable to another dish. By presenting each dish as changeable in this manner, users can enjoy bento boxes with menus that are more satisfactory to them. For service providing companies, since it is only necessary to prepare dishes individually, the labor of packing dishes into bento boxes can be saved, and mass production is also possible. Thereby, the manufacturing cost of bento boxes can be further reduced.

[0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2024-160619

[0006] In order to encourage users to continue using the meal delivery service for a longer period of time, it is necessary to prevent users from getting tired of eating the same dishes. To achieve this, it is preferable to have a larger number of dish varieties. Accordingly, the number of dish varieties is important for improving the quality of service. However, as the number of dish varieties increases, a larger inventory must be maintained, and inventory management also becomes more complicated.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a technology that enables both ensuring a variety of dishes and improving operational efficiency.

[0008] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires cooking element information representing the energy amount of cooking elements that constitute a dish and the content of at least one nutrient contained in the cooking elements, which are food items that make up a dish and are combined in a plurality of such cooking elements; a second acquisition unit that acquires user information representing the recommended intake amount of the user for at least one nutrient within a predetermined period; and a cooking determination unit that, by referring to the cooking element information and the user information, selects a set of cooking elements that are consistent with an energy amount standard which is an energy amount set for each type of dish, and that are consistent with the recommended intake amount, and determines a proposed dish.

[0009] This invention makes it possible to achieve both a variety of dishes and improved operational efficiency.

[0010] This figure illustrates an overview of an example of a meal delivery service that can be provided by an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This figure illustrates an example of food modularization of dishes and an example of combining food modules by calorie count. This figure illustrates an example of the configuration of an information processing system built using an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention and an example of the application of that information processing system. This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an AP server, which is an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration realized on an AP server, which is an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This figure illustrates an example of the configuration of module basic information. This figure illustrates an example of the configuration of personal information. This figure illustrates an example of the configuration of personal setting information. This flowchart shows an example of menu determination processing. This flowchart shows an example of delivery instruction processing.

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an example of a meal delivery service that can be provided by an information processing device (computer) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Service provider 1 is a company that provides a meal delivery service to customer 2. This meal delivery service provides customer 2 with a meal package 3 containing food items to be consumed as a meal, or recipe information 4 showing how to prepare the meal provided in the meal package 3. The meal package 3 is delivered to customer 2 by mail, and the recipe information 4 is sent by transmission. The recipe information 4 may be sent as an email attachment, but it may also be made available for download via email or other means with a link button that allows access to a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the storage location.

[0013] Customer 2 can be an individual or a corporation. If Customer 2 is a corporation, it may use a meal delivery service to provide meals to those who use Customer 2's services. For example, if Customer 2 is a nursing home or a hospital, it may use a meal delivery service to provide meals to the residents of the facility. In such cases, it can be interpreted that the person actually using the meal delivery service is the person using Customer 2's services. For this reason, from now on, "User 2" will be used to refer to Customer 2 (mainly an individual) who actually uses the meal delivery service to eat meals, and to those who use the meal delivery service through Customer 2 (mainly a corporation).

[0014] Meal package 3 includes at least one dish 30. The dish 30 included in meal package 3 corresponds to a decided dish or a suggested dish that may be presented to user 2 in advance as a menu. The menu indicates the contents of one meal, that is, the number of dishes 30 served in the meal, and the type or content of each dish 30. For convenience, here the term menu is used to refer to all the dishes 30 for one meal (typically, one menu consists of multiple dishes 30), and is distinguished from dishes 30 that are not assumed to be part of one meal. The meal package 3 including four dishes 30 shown as an example in Figure 1 is an example of a menu containing all the dishes 30 for one meal. Meal package 3 is mainly used when it contains all or most of the dishes 30 for one meal.

[0015] Furthermore, each element constituting the meal package 3 (i.e., the dishes 30 and the food modules 300 described later) may be packed or packaged in any manner. As will be described later, the meal package 3 as a menu according to this embodiment is realized by combining food modules 300 as the smallest unit, but the unit of packing or packaging does not have to be a food module 300. For example, each food module 300 may be packaged (i.e., individually packaged) as in the example of this embodiment below, or multiple food modules 300 (even combinations that do not make up a finished dish 30) may be packaged together, or a dish 30 as a combination of multiple food modules 300 (a set of dish elements) may be packaged, or a menu as a combination of multiple dishes 30 (i.e., the entire meal package 3) may be packaged.

[0016] In this embodiment, each dish 30 is divided into one or more components (dish elements), and each food item that constitutes a dish element is packaged separately, thereby modularizing it as a food package 300. For this reason, the food package 300 will henceforth also be referred to as a "food module," and will be denoted as 300.

[0017] In this embodiment, the food module or cooking element is not limited to physically packaged food, but may also be configuration data used when providing recipe information 4 (described later) corresponding to the dish 30 or menu as data (for example, partial recipe information of the cooking element as a component of the dish 30).

[0018] The modularization of dish 30 involves subdividing that dish 30 into its individual components, and the number of modules is the number of components required to create that dish 30. Therefore, the modularization of dish 30 means that the number of dishes 30 of the same type (e.g., main course) that can be offered will depend on the number of modules in that dish 30 and the number (number of types) of food modules 300 prepared for each component of that dish 30.

[0019] Figure 2 illustrates an example of food modularization of dishes and an example of food module combinations based on calories (energy content). Here, only five types of dishes are assumed for dish 30: staple food, main dish, soup, and side dish. The example combinations of food modules 300 are based on the above menu. Note that dish 30 is not limited to these five types. Appetizers or desserts may also be considered.

[0020] In the example shown in Figure 2, the staple food is one dish element, and the notations "rice" and "bread" both represent specific examples of staple foods. The "△" next to "rice" and "bread" indicates that only one of them can be selected. Side dishes are also one dish element, and the notation "steamed vegetables" represents a specific example of a side dish. Note that staple foods and side dishes may consist of two or more dish elements. For example, with rice, which is a staple food, one main dish element such as white rice may be supplemented with furikake (rice seasoning) as another dish element. With bread, one main dish element such as sliced ​​bread may be supplemented with jam and butter or other spreads as another dish element. With side dishes, one main dish element such as green salad may be supplemented with dressing as another dish element.

[0021] In the main course, the terms "ingredients" and "sauce" both represent categories of dish elements. Similarly, in the soup, the terms "broth" and "ingredients" both represent categories of dish elements. Therefore, in this embodiment, one type or one dish of main course consists of a combination of one ingredient and one sauce. Similarly, one type or one dish of soup consists of a combination of one broth and one ingredient. For this reason, the "〇" in Figure 2 always represents a dish element that is being selected.

[0022] Here, the number of "〇"s represents the number of selectable dish elements within a menu for each type of dish (30 dishes). For example, as will be explained later, in a 400kcal menu, one ingredient (one "〇") and one sauce (one "〇") can be selected for the main dish (resulting in one main dish of 30 dishes), while in a 700kcal menu, two ingredients (two "〇") and two sauces (two "〇") can be selected for the main dish (resulting in two main dishes of 30 dishes).

[0023] When each dish 30 is subdivided into culinary elements in this way, both the main dish and the side dish have a modularization number of 1 and are basically provided by one food module 300. On the other hand, both the main course and the soup have a modularization number of 2 and are provided by two food modules 300 (culinary element sets) with different categories of culinary elements.

[0024] Thus, in this embodiment, each dish 30 is composed of a combination of one or more food modules 300. In the example in Figure 2, the main dish and side dish are dishes 30 (single-element dishes) of one food module 300 (dish element), and the food module 300 (dish element) alone represents the dish 30 itself. In other words, these main dishes and side dishes are not substantially modularized, but as mentioned above, additional food modules 300 such as furikake and dressing can be introduced afterward, dramatically increasing the expandability and flexibility of the variations of the dishes 30. Also, in the example in Figure 2, the main dish and soup are dishes 30 (multiple-element dishes) of two food modules 300 (dish elements), and one dish 30 is represented by a combination of multiple food modules 300 (dish elements). Thus, in a menu as shown in Figure 2, dishes 30 that are not substantially modularized (single food module 300) and dishes 30 that are modularized (multiple food modules 300) may be combined.

[0025] In this embodiment, the calorific value (energy amount) of each dish 30 is set to 200 kcal or 100 kcal. That is, the food modules 300 are assembled to produce or prepare dishes 30 such that a main dish has 100 kcal each for the ingredients and sauce (totaling 200 kcal), and a soup has 100 kcal for the ingredients and broth combined. As a result, the calorific value of one meal (one menu) is set to vary in units of 100 kcal. Note that both calorific values ​​are approximate values, and the actual calorific value is usually slightly higher or lower than the approximate value. Both 200 kcal and 100 kcal correspond to the energy amount standards set for each type of dish 30.

[0026] Therefore, if the total calories (total energy basis) for one meal are 400 kcal, one food module 300 containing either rice or bread as the staple food should be selected, and two food modules 300 (combinations of cooking elements) should be selected for both the main dish and the soup (100 kcal each for the staple food and soup, 200 kcal for the main dish, totaling 400 kcal). If the total calories for one meal are 700 kcal, one food module 300 containing either rice or bread as the staple food should be selected, a total of four food modules 300 should be selected for two main dishes, two food modules 300 should be selected for the soup, and one food module 300 should be selected for the side dish (100 kcal each for the staple food, soup, and side dish, 400 kcal for the main dish, totaling 700 kcal). Figure 2 shows examples of combinations through the selection of such food modules 300 according to the assumed calories.

[0027] Figure 2 shows a scenario where five types of food modules 300 are provided, each containing rice or bread as a staple food (cooking element); ten types of food modules 300 are provided, each containing ingredients or sauces for a main dish (cooking elements); seven types of food modules 300 are provided, each containing broth or ingredients for a soup (cooking elements); and five types of food modules 300 are provided, each containing steamed vegetables as a side dish.

[0028] Under this assumption, the total number of food modules 300 to be prepared is only 49. The theoretical maximum number of combinations, that is, the number of dishes 30 that can be served, is 5 for both staple foods like rice and bread (because the modularization number is 1, it is equal to the number of selectable dish elements). The number is also 5 for side dishes. However, for main dishes, the number is 100 (= 10 x 10). For soups, the number is 49 (= 7 x 7). Note that the actual number of combinations may be smaller than the maximum number of combinations due to the combination of multiple dish elements that make up the dish 30 (for example, the combination of each ingredient and each sauce in a main dish) and the preferences of user 2. In the example shown in Figure 2, the actual number of main dish combinations is 92, which is smaller than the maximum number of combinations of 100. The total number of types of dishes 30 when assuming the actual number of combinations is 156. The total number of menu types with at least one dish (30 different items) is 225,400 (= 10 × 92 × 49 × 5) when the calorie count is 500 kcal.

[0029] Here, among the combinations of cooking elements (food modules 300), the dishes that are excluded due to reasons such as food pairings or the user's preferences (eight dishes in the main course example in Figure 2) are determined in the information processing device 12, which will be described later. Such combinations of cooking elements or dishes to be excluded may be determined uniformly for all users 2, or they may be customized for each user 2 according to the preferences and physical characteristics of the user 2 that the information processing device 12 can recognize through the use of the service from the service provider 1. In the latter case, the number and content of the combinations of cooking elements or dishes to be excluded for each dish may differ for each user 2.

[0030] Unlike staple foods, main dishes and soups require a strong desire for variety from the diner. Therefore, to prevent users 2 from getting tired of the same food, and thus to improve the quality of the meal delivery service or recipe provision service, it is important to increase the variety of main dishes and soups. The number of each type of main dish and soup can be easily increased by modularizing the dishes 30, as shown in Figure 2. For example, if the number of modules for a main dish is set to 2, and the number of food modules 300 for each dish element is set to 10, the number of main dish types that can be offered can be 100 (actually 92). The number of food modules 300 that need to be managed is 20. If modularization is not performed, each main dish must be managed as a food item, so the number of food types that need to be managed in inventory is 100 (actually 92).

[0031] For these reasons, modularizing the 30 dishes is also effective in reducing the number of types of food that need to be managed in inventory. Therefore, modularizing the 30 dishes allows for a larger number of items (types) in each dish while simplifying inventory management. It makes it possible to reduce the space required for storing or manufacturing food items, while also reducing the costs associated with inventory management or manufacturing management.

[0032] The dishes 30 and / or food elements (food modules 300) that make up the menu are not limited to those illustrated in Figure 2. In addition to or instead of these dishes 30 and / or food elements, adjustable dishes and / or adjustable food elements, in which calories (energy content) and / or nutrients can be flexibly adjusted, may be provided as part of the menu or dishes 30.

[0033] For example, as customizable dishes, a vegetable platter such as steamed vegetables or warm vegetables, or a fruit platter may be offered as part of the menu. Unlike other dishes or food elements whose calories and nutrients are fixed (in other words, whose recipes are fixed), the calories and / or nutrients of such customizable dishes may be variable depending on the user 2 and the menu. For example, by adjusting the types and quantities of vegetables included in a vegetable platter as a customizable dish according to the user 2 and the menu, the calories and / or nutrients included in that customizable dish can be customized.

[0034] In particular, in this embodiment, where, as mentioned above, the cooking elements, dishes, and menus are standardized or modularized based on calories, a deficiency in total calories in the menu or dish 30 is unlikely, but the intake of each nutrient may be insufficient compared to the recommended intake for each user 2. By including a large amount of vegetables containing nutrients that are insufficient in actual intake compared to the recommended intake in the vegetable platter as an adjustable dish, the deficiency of those nutrients can be efficiently compensated for.

[0035] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 2, the total calories of standard menus are standardized to values ​​such as 400 kcal, 500 kcal, 600 kcal, and 700 kcal. However, there may be cases where a menu with calories deviating from these standard values ​​should be provided for a specific meal for a particular user 2. In such cases, including adjustable dishes in the menu allows for efficient supplementation of odd values ​​of calories and / or nutrients. For example, if a 650 kcal menu should be provided for a specific meal for a particular user 2, the standard 600 kcal menu shown in Figure 2 can be supplemented with a platter of vegetables and fruits worth 50 kcal, and this can then be provided to user 2 as the final menu.

[0036] Furthermore, the calorie and / or nutrient adjustment elements in the above-described menu may be added as (adjustable) culinary elements to a dish 30, in addition to being served as a dish 30 such as a vegetable and fruit platter. For example, the adjustable culinary elements may be added in the form of a vegetable side dish to the main course of dish 30, to provide the necessary calories and / or nutrients.

[0037] Preferably, the adjustable dishes and / or adjustable dish elements described above are flexibly manufactured at the manufacturing plant 5, etc., when the meal package 3 (menu) is delivered or shipped to the user 2. For example, it is preferable that various types of vegetables and fruits that can be used in a vegetable and fruit platter are prepared in advance at the manufacturing plant 5, etc., and that those selected according to the calorie and / or nutrient deficiencies for user 2 in the meal package 3 (which can be determined by the information processing device 12 described later) are processed on-site as appropriate and packed as a dish 30 or food module 300.

[0038] Unlike ordinary bento boxes, the food module 300 does not need to be packed into a container in an edible state. Therefore, the food module 300 can be easily manufactured as an industrial product at a manufacturing plant 5. The manufacturing plant 5 that produces the food module 300 is owned by either the service provider 1 or the company that commissioned the manufacturing. For the sake of explanation, we will assume that the manufacturing plant 5 itself is a separate company. There may be multiple manufacturing plants 5 to which the production of the food module 300 is commissioned. For example, different types of food modules 300 may be commissioned to different manufacturing plants 5. However, for the sake of explanation, we will assume that all food modules 300 are manufactured at a single manufacturing plant 5 and will not distinguish between the manufacturing plants 5.

[0039] In meal delivery services or recipe provision services, it is desirable to be able to provide meals that are appropriate for user 2. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, service provider 1 manages personal information, module basic information, and nutrition method information. A personal information database (DB) 1A is constructed for managing personal information. Similarly, a module basic information database 1B is constructed for managing module basic information, and a nutrition method information database 1C is constructed for managing nutrition method information. The nutrition method is a meal management model that represents a systematic method (framework) for meal management that enables the provision of meals that user 2 desires or that are appropriate for user 2.

[0040] Personal information includes, for example, the user ID (IDentification) assigned to user 2 for identification purposes, name, address, email address, and payment information for payment purposes, as well as physical information that enables the calculation of basal metabolic rate. Physical information includes, for example, height, weight, age, and gender. Except for the user ID, all other information can be changed or updated at any time. Basal metabolic rate may also be calculated using the Harris-Benedict equation. For men, the equation is: basal metabolic rate (kcal / day) = 88.36 + (13.4 × weight [kg]) + (4.8 × height [cm]) - (5.7 × age [years]). For women, the equation is: basal metabolic rate (kcal / day) = 447.6 + (9.2 × weight [kg]) + (3.1 × height [cm]) - (4.3 × age [years]). Basal metabolic rate may also be determined using a table or AI (Artificial Intelligence).

[0041] Module basic information is information prepared for each food module 300. Module basic information represents the nutritional components, including the calorie content, of the food (dish elements) that constitute or are managed as a food module 300. Module basic information also includes identification information such as module ID, dish type, dish elements, and ingredients (Figure 6). Preferred dietary tendencies differ among users 2. Furthermore, the ideal dietary content may differ depending on the user 2's constitution. The nutritional method information stored in the nutritional method information DB1C enables the provision of meals that are more desirable for user 2.

[0042] For example, known nutritional methods effective for dieting or weight loss include the Mediterranean diet and low-carbohydrate diets. The Mediterranean diet is a nutritional method characterized by the intake of a large amount of high-quality fats, while the low-carbohydrate diet is a nutritional method characterized by reducing carbohydrate intake and emphasizing the intake of protein and fat. There are also nutritional methods characterized by the distribution of calories consumed in a day's meals. Nutritional method information is information that reflects such characteristics in the decision of what to eat (dishes or menus). In this embodiment, by providing multiple nutritional method information, it is possible to offer user 2 multiple nutritional method options, and user 2 can select any option they like.

[0043] The selection of a nutritional method is not mandatory. In this embodiment, only one nutritional method can be selected, but multiple selections may be possible. For example, user 2 may be able to select a combination of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, or a combination of a low-FODMAP P diet and a low-carbohydrate diet. Three or more nutritional methods may be selectable. When such combinations of nutritional methods are allowed, it is desirable to automatically determine whether the combination is inappropriate and to restrict the selection of nutritional methods based on the result of that determination.

[0044] The nutrition method registered as nutrition method information may be one proposed by a proposer 6. When information on nutrition methods proposed by a plurality of proposers 6 is registered and made selectable by a user 2, a reward may be paid to the proposer 6 of the nutrition method selected by the user 2 through revenue share or profit distribution from the service usage fee paid by the user 2 to the service provider company 1. When the amount of the reward received is varied depending on the selection record of the user 2 or the usage record in actual menus or actual recipes, a stimulus or incentive can be given to the proposer 6 to encourage the proposer 6 to propose better nutrition methods or improve existing nutrition methods to be better.

[0045] For the reasons described above, the user 2 performs various settings and uses a meal delivery service or a recipe providing service. As setting items that can be configured, in addition to the nutrition method, there are the content of one meal, meals for which provision is requested in one day, the service usage period, and the like (FIG. 8). The user 2 performs settings for these setting items and requests provision of the service. In response to the request, the service provider company 1 determines a dish 30 as a combination of one or a plurality of dish elements (food modules 300) to be proposed (presented) to the user 2, or a menu as a combination of one or a plurality of dishes 30, and presents the dish 30 or the menu to the user 2. The presented dish 30 or menu can be arbitrarily changed by the user 2 (in particular, can be changed for each food module 300 as the minimum constituent unit). Therefore, as a result, the service provider company 1 performs processing so that the food modules 300 or recipe information 4 is sent to the user 2 in accordance with the dish 30 or menu agreed by the user 2. The information processing device according to the present embodiment is implemented as performing various types of processing for providing such a meal delivery service to the user 2.

[0046] The service for transmitting recipe information 4 is intended for persons who desire to further reduce expenditures or who wish to have meals with a well-balanced nutritional profile. By transmitting recipe information 4, a user 2 can prepare a proposed dish 30 as a proposed combination of one or more food modules 300 using ingredients desired by the user 2. With the recipe information 4, the user 2 does not need to check the types of ingredients, the required amount of each ingredient, and the like. For these reasons, transmitting the recipe information 4 can help the user 2 more easily prepare the proposed dish 30.

[0047] The recipe information 4 may be prepared for each dish 30, or may be prepared for each dish element of the dish 30. Thereby, the user 2 may be allowed to select a desired one from among the recipe information 4 for the dish 30 and at least one piece of recipe information 4 among the dish elements of the dish 30. Such recipe information 4 for a dish 30 and / or a dish element may be arbitrarily obtainable by the user 2 separately from the packaged dish 30 and / or dish element (food module 300).

[0048] Basically, a service providing company 1 receives food modules 300 manufactured by a manufacturing factory 5 through outsourcing as inventory, extracts required modules from the inventory, and delivers them to the user 2. There may be cases where a sufficient amount of each food module 300 is not secured as inventory. For this reason, in the present embodiment, when there is a shortage of food modules 300 to be delivered to the user 2, a request is made to the service providing company 1 and / or the manufacturing factory 5 to manufacture the insufficient food modules 300 and deliver the manufactured food modules 300 to the user 2. Through such a request, even if the delivery of all necessary food modules 300 to the user 2 is delayed, the amount of delay can be further reduced. Therefore, a decrease in service quality caused by a delayed timing at which all food modules 300 reach the user 2 can be avoided, or even if it cannot be avoided, the degree of the decrease in quality can be further suppressed.

[0049] Furthermore, the food modules 300 manufactured by the manufacturing plant 5 may be managed or stored as inventory of the manufacturing plant 5 (or its operating company). In any case, the service provider 1 and / or the manufacturing plant 5 will bear the inventory risk of the manufactured food modules 300. However, as illustrated in Figure 2, in this embodiment that realizes the modularization of dishes, the number of food modules 300 (dish elements) to be manufactured and stored is significantly smaller than in the conventional technology. Thus, because the number of food modules 300 as SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) to be managed in business operations is small, it is easier to improve the accuracy of manufacturing and sales (including inventory management) plans (for example, it is possible to reduce the risk of creating excessive manufacturing plans that deviate from the actual demand by users 2).

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment where food is modularized and managed or operated, the manufacturing of each food module 300, each dish 30, and each meal package 3 can be standardized or made more efficient. For example, each food module 300, except for the adjustable dish elements mentioned above, has fixed calories and nutrients, and the ingredients and quantities to be included are fixed, so the manufacturing recipe can be standardized and manufacturing can be automated. Also, as mentioned above, the ingredients and quantities to be included for the adjustable dish elements are instructed by the information processing device 12, so they can be manufactured adaptively in the manufacturing plant 5. In addition, manufacturing or cooking can be made more efficient by quantifying (portioning) or solidifying solid materials such as ingredients and seasonings, and liquid materials such as soups and sauces, according to the standard usage amounts corresponding to the modularization.

[0051] As described above, this embodiment significantly reduces the risks associated with the manufacturing and inventory of the food module 300, and maximizes business opportunities for the service provider 1 and the manufacturing plant 5.

[0052] Each manufacturing plant 5 may, upon receiving shipping instructions from the service provider 1 or the information processing device 12, ship the food modules 300 to the user 2 or a packaging facility (factory or warehouse) not shown. The packaging facility may combine the food modules 300 sent from multiple manufacturing plants 5 into a meal package 3 or dish 30 to be provided to the user 2, pack or wrap it, and ship it to the user 2.

[0053] The information processing device according to this embodiment will be described in more detail below. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system constructed using an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and an example of its application. Note that the example of the information processing system configuration and the example of its application are just examples and are not particularly limited.

[0054] The information processing system shown in Figure 3 is an example built by service provider 1 for providing meal delivery services or recipe provision services. The information processing device in this embodiment is used as an AP server 12. For this reason, the information processing device in this embodiment will also be denoted by the reference numeral "12" from now on. Although the information processing system is built within service provider 1, it may also be built using a cloud service.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, the information processing system includes an AP server 12, a Web server 11, a DB server 13, and an employee terminal 14, all of which are connected to a network 15. The employee terminal 14 is a terminal used by employees working at service provider company 1, and there is one such terminal. The employee terminal 14 itself is an information processing device equipped with communication functions, such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a tablet terminal. The network 15 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network). In addition to the network 15, the Web server 11 is connected to an external network 20. This network 20 is, for example, a composite network including the Internet.

[0056] This network 20 is connected to, or can be connected to, user terminals 21 used by each user 2, employee terminals 51 used by employees of the manufacturing plant 5, and proposer terminals 61 used by each proposer 6. The user terminals 21, employee terminals 51, and proposer terminals 61 are all information processing devices equipped with communication functions. Specifically, these are, for example, PCs, smartphones, or tablet devices.

[0057] Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an AP server, which is an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This hardware configuration example is just one example and is not particularly limited. For example, only one CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121 and one GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 124 are shown, but multiple units of each may be installed.

[0058] As shown in Figure 4, the AP server 12 has a configuration in which a CPU 121, ROM (Read Only Memory) 122, RAM (Random Access Memory) 123, GPU 124, NIC (Network Interface Card) 125, auxiliary storage device 126, media drive 127, and I / FC (Interface Controller) group 128 are connected to the bus 129. A VRAM (Video RAM) 124A is connected to the GPU 124.

[0059] The NIC125 enables communication via the network 15. This communication may be wireless or wired. It may also support multiple communication standards. Although Figure 4 shows only one NIC125, multiple NIC125s supporting different communication standards may be installed.

[0060] The auxiliary storage device 126 is a device capable of permanently storing data, such as a hard disk drive or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The media drive 127 is a device on which the recording medium 127A can be attached and detached. The media 127A is such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, etc.

[0061] The I / FC group 128 includes various I / FCs that enable communication with various peripheral devices, including the input device 128A and the display device 128B, or with external devices. The input device 128A and the display device 128B are temporarily connected to the I / FC group 128 as needed. The auxiliary storage device 126 stores the OS (Operating System) and various application programs that run on the OS as programs. One of the various application programs is an application program that enables the provision of a meal delivery service or a recipe provision service. Hereafter, this application will be referred to as the "meal delivery service app".

[0062] ROM 122 is also a device capable of permanently storing data, such as firmware and various other data. The CPU 121 reads the firmware stored in ROM 122 into RAM 123 and executes it. Subsequently, the firmware reads the OS stored in auxiliary storage device 126 into RAM 123 and executes it. Various application programs, including a meal delivery app, are read into RAM 123 by the OS and executed. The GPU 124 can execute various application programs stored in auxiliary storage device 126 and read into VRAM 124A.

[0063] The meal delivery app or recipe provision app may be stored on media 127A and distributed. If network 20 is a complex network including the internet, it may be distributed via network 20. When distributed via network 20, the meal delivery service app may be stored on a recording medium that can be directly or indirectly accessed by the information processing device distributing it. In other words, the storage medium may be directly or indirectly accessible by another information processing device that can communicate with the information processing device distributing it.

[0064] Figure 5 shows an example of a functional configuration implemented on an AP server, which is an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This functional configuration is mainly implemented by the CPU 121 executing the above-mentioned meal delivery service application. The functional configuration is not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible.

[0065] As shown in Figure 5, the CPU 121 of the AP server 12 is functionally configured to include a transmission / reception processing unit 1211, a constitutional investigation unit 1212, a constitutional determination unit 1213, a setting registration unit 1214, a menu determination unit 1215, a menu change unit 1216, a natural language processing unit 1217, a delivery instruction unit 1218, a manufacturing request unit 1219, an information update unit 1220, and a payment processing unit 1221.

[0066] While this functional configuration is realized on the CPU 121, the auxiliary storage device 126 has reserved personal basic information storage unit 1261, personal setting information storage unit 1262, module basic information storage unit 1263, module management information storage unit 1264, nutrition method information storage unit 1265, proponent management information storage unit 1266, menu information storage unit 1267, questionnaire information storage unit 1268, and recipe information storage unit 1269 as information storage areas.

[0067] The information stored in each of the memory units 1261 to 1269 is, for example, as follows. The personal basic information memory unit 1261 is a storage area reserved for storing the above personal information. The personal information DB 1A is constructed within the personal basic information memory unit 1261.

[0068] Figure 7 illustrates an example of the composition of personal information. This example is not particularly limited and can be modified in various ways. As shown in Figure 7, personal information is a group of information that includes, for example, user ID, user type, height, weight, age, gender, medical history, allergens, and constitution type. The constitution type includes information that represents estimated results such as excessive carbohydrate intake, excessive lipid intake, poor gut environment, and nutritional deficiency. The "〇" in Figure 7 indicates that it is estimated to apply. Although not shown in Figure 7, personal information also includes other information such as address, telephone number, and email address. The address is the delivery address for the food module 300, and the email address is the pre-specified recipient (destination) for the recipe information 4.

[0069] As described above, Customer 2 can be an individual or a corporation. Those who use the services provided by Customer 2, a corporation, can use the meal delivery service without registering as a member. The user type allows for distinction between whether User 2 is such a person or not. Those who use the meal delivery service through Customer 2, a corporation, are managed using a member ID assigned to Customer 2 as a corporation and a user ID assigned to the individual user. If the email address is that of User 2, recipe information 4 can be received.

[0070] The user's medical history, allergens, and constitution type are referenced to suggest more appropriate dishes 30 for user 2 as an individual. User 2 may also specify not only actual allergens, but also foods or dishes 30 that they cannot eat or dislike. To help user 2 consume more of their favorite dishes 30, or dishes 30 containing their favorite ingredients, a preference section may be provided, allowing them to input (set) information for that section.

[0071] As described above, user 2 configures each setting item and uses the meal delivery service or recipe provision service. The information representing the settings configured by user 2 for each setting item is compiled as personal setting information. The personal setting information storage unit 1262 is a storage area reserved for saving such personal setting information.

[0072] Figure 8 illustrates an example of the configuration of personal settings information. This configuration is not particularly limited and can be modified in various ways. As shown in Figure 8, personal settings information is a group of information that includes user ID, goal type, goal intensity, nutrition method, specified period, target food range, target meal range, recipient, and other information.

[0073] The "Goal Type" field represents the goal that user 2 intends to achieve by using the meal delivery service. "Diet" and "Calorie Restriction" are both examples of such goals. Note that "Calorie Restriction" aims to prevent weight gain, and therefore assumes a higher calorie intake compared to "Diet," which aims to lose weight.

[0074] The target intensity represents the strength of user 2's desire to achieve the goal. This target intensity is expressed on a scale of 1 to 5, for example. 5 indicates the maximum intensity. The nutritional method represents the type of nutritional method selected by user 2. This type is represented by a number assigned to the nutritional method. A number of 0 indicates that user 2 has not selected a nutritional method.

[0075] The specified period represents the period during which the meal delivery service will be used. As shown in Figure 8, the specified period is defined by a start date and a duration. In this embodiment, the delivery interval of the food module 300 can also be specified. "Every two weeks," "Every four weeks," etc. in Figure 8 represent examples of specified delivery intervals. The duration may be set arbitrarily by the user 2, or it may be selected from a pre-prepared set of options.

[0076] In this embodiment, the dishes 30 that can be provided in one meal or menu are assumed to include a staple food, a main dish, soup, and side dishes. The range of target dishes represents the dishes 30 that should be included in one meal. In Figure 8, "All" indicates that user 2 has requested all dishes 30 that can be provided in one meal. "Main dish" indicates that user 2 has requested only a main dish in one meal. As for the range of target dishes, one or more can be arbitrarily selected from staple food, main dish, soup, and side dishes.

[0077] Furthermore, the target range of dishes and target range of meals may be set separately for the delivery of the food module 300 and for the transmission of recipe information 4. In this case, user 2 will be able to consume any dish 30 using the food module 300, and also cook and consume any dish 30 based on the recipe information 4.

[0078] The target meal range represents the meal selected by user 2 from among breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This target meal range is established because the meals that user 2 can use or intends to use through the meal delivery service differ. The delivery target specifies the items to be provided by the meal delivery service. In Figure 8, "Cooking" and "Data" indicate that user 2 has requested delivery of one or more food modules 300 that make up cooking 30, and transmission of recipe information 4, respectively. If the target cooking range and target meal range are set for the delivery of food modules 300 and the transmission of recipe information 4, respectively, the delivery target is not necessary.

[0079] Other settings are provided to allow user 2 to input arbitrary content. It is assumed that user 2 will input specific goals (requests) or supplementary requests regarding dish 30. The goal type, goal intensity, and other information are used to identify the calories to consider when deciding on dish 30 or the menu. Body type is also used to identify calories. Basal metabolic rate is treated as the base calorie intake. Specifically, for example, the goal type, goal intensity, other information, and body type are used to identify increases or decreases relative to the base calorie intake. In the case of the above-described modularization and calorie distribution for staple foods, main dishes, soups, and side dishes, the calorie intake per meal will be determined in units of 100 kcal (Figure 2). As shown in Figure 8, if user 2 inputs text indicating a desire for greater intake of specific nutrients such as protein, it makes it easier to select food modules 300 that provide more of the desired nutrients.

[0080] The module basic information storage unit 1263 is a storage area reserved for storing the above module basic information. The module basic information DB 1B is constructed within this storage unit 1263. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the module basic information. This configuration example is not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible. As shown in Figure 6, the module basic information is a group of information including module ID, dish type, calories, ingredients, and nutrients. This module basic information corresponds to the dish element information in this embodiment. The module ID is identification information assigned to the food module 300. The dish type represents the type of dish 30 provided to the food module 300 by food packaged or data-data in recipe information 4. Here, the dish type represents one of the following: staple food, main dish, soup, and side dish.

[0081] The "Cooking Element" represents the type (category) of component in the dish 30 of the food packaged in the food module 300 or data-data in the recipe information 4. If the dish 30 has only one type of component, the component represents the specific type of dish 30. If the dish 30 has two or more types of components, the component represents the type (category) of the component. In Figure 6, "Rice," "Ingredients," and "Soup" show that "Rice" represents the specific type of dish 30, while "Ingredients" and "Soup" both represent the types of components. The "Calories" represents the calories (energy amount) of the food packaged in the food module 300. The "Ingredients" represents the ingredients used in the food. The "Nutrient" represents the type of nutrients contained in the food and the amount of each nutrient.

[0082] Here, regarding calories, as previously mentioned with respect to Figure 2, each dish 30 is standardized in units of 100 kcal or 200 kcal. In this case, it is preferable that dishes of the same "dish type" are set to substantially the same calorie value. For example, the calories of a dish composed of a single dish element (i.e., a dish element), such as a staple food, are common, and in the example of Figure 6, the calories of the dish elements with module IDs "A001" and "A002" are both 100 kcal. Also, in the case of a dish composed of multiple dish elements, such as a main dish or soup, the calories of each dish element as a component are set to a standard so that the total calories of the dish remain constant (for example, 100 kcal for soup). For example, if the "broth" of "soup" is 70 kcal, as in "C001" in the example of Figure 6, then the "broth" as another option not shown is also set to 70 kcal. Furthermore, in order to create a 100-kcal soup by combining this 70-kcal "broth," the calorie content of the "ingredients" for the "soup" is uniformly set to 30 kcal.

[0083] The module's basic information includes the information described above. Therefore, it is possible to determine the menu for the 30 dishes, including menus based on calories and nutrients. As described above, in this embodiment, the unit of calories (heat) is defined for each type of dish 30. From this, it is possible to determine the dishes 30 that are in line with a low-carbohydrate diet by focusing only on carbohydrates as nutrients. This is because the proportion of carbohydrates in the total calories can be identified. Therefore, it is sufficient to have at least one type of nutrient, that is, at least one nutrient that indicates quantity.

[0084] Module management information is stored in the module management information storage unit 1264. This module management information, like the basic module information, is a set of information created for each food module 300. This module management information represents the inventory status or manufacturing status of the food module 300. For this purpose, the module management information includes information such as module ID, inventory quantity, expected arrival date, order quantity, manufacturing request destination, planned manufacturing date, and planned manufacturing quantity. With module management information configured in this way, this embodiment makes it possible to determine whether there are enough food modules 300 to be delivered to user 2, and whether or not to request the manufacturing of food modules 300.

[0085] Nutritional method information storage unit 1265 stores nutritional method information. This nutritional method information is created for each nutritional method that user 2 may select. For example, it is a group of information that includes various information such as method ID, assignment number, proponent ID, priority order of nutrients to be taken in each meal, selection validity period, and reward calculation method.

[0086] The Method ID is the identification information for a nutrition method. The Assignment Number is also identification information for a nutrition method. However, the Assignment Number is used to identify the result of User 2's selection of a nutrition method (see Figure 8). Therefore, unlike the Module ID, the Assignment Number is expected to be changed as needed.

[0087] The proponent ID is the identification information of proponent 6. The priority of nutrients to be consumed in each meal reflects the nutritional method in determining the dishes 30 for each meal. For example, in the Mediterranean diet, the combination of food modules 300 in each dish 30 will be determined so that carbohydrates are relatively low and protein and fat are higher.

[0088] The selection validity period represents the period during which the nutrition method can be selected. This selection validity period is determined, for example, by the contract with the proponent 6, or by the popularity of the nutrition method. The reward calculation method specifies how to calculate the amount of reward to be paid to proponent 6 when user 2 selects a nutrition method and uses the meal delivery service. For example, if the amount is calculated by multiplying the total number of dishes 30 or recipes determined by the nutrition method by the unit price, the reward calculation method should specify the unit price.

[0089] The proposer management information storage unit 1266 stores proposer management information. This proposer management information is created for each proposer 6. For example, it is a group of information that includes various information such as proposer ID, method ID, performance, and bank account for transfer. In this embodiment, this proposer management information enables settlement processing to pay rewards to proposers 6. Performance is information that represents the total number, for example, and is used to calculate the amount of reward for proposers 6.

[0090] The menu information storage unit 1267 stores menu information. This menu information represents the contents of each meal that has been decided to be provided to user 2, that is, the selection results of the dishes 30 and / or food modules 300 that make up the menu through combinations. In addition to the selection results of the food modules 300 for each meal, it also includes various information such as user ID of user 2, decision date, and whether or not there is a delivery date. The decision date represents the date on which the dishes 30 to be proposed to user 2 were decided. The delivery date allows user 2, who wishes to have the food modules 300 delivered, to determine whether or not a delivery instruction for the food modules 300 is necessary.

[0091] The food modules 300 to be delivered are scheduled to be delivered after a set period has elapsed from the date indicated by the decision date. This set period is in place to allow the user 2 to change the contents of the proposed dishes 30. For users 2 who have set up the provision of multiple dishes 30 for one meal, the food modules 300 for one meal are packed into a meal package 3 and delivered.

[0092] The questionnaire information storage unit 1268 is a storage area for storing questionnaire information. The questionnaire information is a collection of questions compiled as a questionnaire to estimate the user's behavioral tendencies, including diet and exercise. The user's answers to the questions presented in the questionnaire information are used to estimate the user's constitution type.

[0093] The recipe information storage unit 1269 is a storage area for storing recipe information 4. This recipe information 4 is information created with the intention of being transmitted to the user 2, as described above. In order to make it possible to identify the recipe information 4 corresponding to the confirmed dish 30, each recipe information 4 is managed by the module ID of the food module 300 selected for the corresponding dish 30. In other words, the recipe information 4 is managed by management information that includes, for example, a recipe ID, one or more module IDs, and a URL indicating the storage location of the recipe information 4. One module ID is for the food module 300, and two or more module IDs are for the dish 30. As a result, decisions including changes to the dish 30 due to the selection of a food module 300 make it possible to identify the recipe information 4 for that dish 30 and the food module 300 for that dish 30.

[0094] In this embodiment, the personal settings information storage unit 1262, the module basic information storage unit 1263, and the recipe information storage unit 1269 are all stored in the same auxiliary storage device 126, but they do not necessarily have to be stored in the same storage device. In other words, the storage device in which they are stored is not particularly limited. Various information, including the recipe information 4, is stored in the DB server 13. Therefore, it may be possible to retrieve it from the DB server 13 as needed.

[0095] The various types of information stored in each of the memory units 1261 to 1269 are actually read into the RAM 123 and used for processing by the CPU 121. The CPU 121 also communicates with the Web server 11 via the NIC 125. These are conveniently ignored in Figure 5. This will also be the case in subsequent explanations.

[0096] The units 1211 to 1221, which are implemented on the CPU 121 and perform processing using various information stored in each of the memory units 1261 to 1269, have functions such as the following. The transmission / reception processing unit 1211 performs processing for sending and receiving various data, including various requests, with the Web server 11. The sending of the decision result for the dish 30, as well as questionnaire questions, setting screens, etc., to the user terminal 21 is all achieved by requests to the Web server 11. The modified content of the dish 30, the answers to the questions, and various setting content are sent from the user terminal 21 as requests. Such requests are sent to the AP server 12 via the Web server 11, and the transmission / reception processing unit 1211 performs the corresponding processing. This transmission / reception processing unit 1211 corresponds to the first acquisition unit in the narrow sense in this embodiment. In a broader sense, the information update unit 1220 is also included.

[0097] The constitutional survey unit 1212 reads questionnaire information from the questionnaire information storage unit 1268 and responds to presenting questions to user 2 and receiving the answers to the presented questions. The questions are presented via the transmission / reception processing unit 1211. The actual presentation is done by the Web server 11. The answers to the questions are passed from the transmission / reception processing unit 1211. All answers to each question are passed to the constitutional determination unit 1213.

[0098] The constitution determination unit 1213 estimates user 2's constitution type by referring to the answers to each question and the user's basic personal information, and updates the constitution type information in the user's basic personal information. The estimation of the constitution type is performed using well-known technology. The meal delivery service is provided to user 2 after they log in. The constitution type estimation service is also provided on the premise that user 2 logs in. By logging in, user 2's user ID is identified. Therefore, it becomes possible to identify user 2's basic personal information.

[0099] Both customer 2's registration and user 2's registration are handled by the Web server 11. Therefore, basic personal information is obtained from the Web server 11 or the DB server 13 and stored in the basic personal information storage unit 1261. The settings registration unit 1214 handles the presentation of various settings screens and the registration of settings according to the content of each setting item set on the settings screen. The settings registration unit 1214 is responsible for storing personal setting information in the personal setting information storage unit 1262 and updating the stored personal setting information.

[0100] The menu determination unit 1215 determines a menu that includes one dish 30 or multiple dishes 30 to be proposed to each user 2. Personal basic information, personal settings information, module basic information, and nutrition method information are referenced in order to determine the dishes 30 and the menu. As a result, the dishes 30 and the menu are determined in a way that meets the user 2's preferences while also achieving the user 2's goals. The menu determination unit 1215 determines the dishes 30 while avoiding undesirable combinations of food modules 300 for reasons such as food pairing.

[0101] The basal metabolic rate calculated for each user 2, the user 2's body type (Figure 7), and personal settings information are used, for example, to determine the recommended daily calorie intake. The recommended daily calorie intake may also be calculated, for example, by manipulating the basal metabolic rate according to the target type, target intensity, and body type. The recommended calorie intake per meal is based on 1 / 3 of the recommended daily calorie intake and is increased or decreased as needed. Regardless of the content of the target dish range information, the calories of each dish 30 per meal are determined according to the recommended daily calorie intake, as shown in Figure 2. Note that the daily calorie intake may also be set by user 2. The amount of food 30, one meal (menu), or the desired daily intake of nutrients may also be set by user 2.

[0102] The nutrients to be ingested by user 2 may be calculated based on, for example, the daily calorie intake. For example, the amount of each nutrient that user 2 should consume may be calculated according to the daily calorie intake, and the calculated intake amount of each nutrient may be determined by manipulating it according to the current medical history, constitution type, and age. The method of determination, along with the calorie intake, is not particularly limited. If user 2 has selected any nutrition method, the menu determination unit 1215 updates the performance in the proponent management information corresponding to the proponent of that nutrition method upon determination of the dish 30 or menu.

[0103] The menu change unit 1216 allows user 2 to change the proposed dishes 30 and the menu. To this end, the menu change unit 1216 displays the currently decided dishes 30 or menu content and reflects the changes to the displayed content in the menu information. User 2 can use user terminal 21 to send a request to display the menu information. Requests received by AP server 12 via Web server 11 are passed from transmission / reception processing unit 1211 to menu change unit 1216. In response to this request, menu change unit 1216 extracts menu information corresponding to user 2 from menu information storage unit 1267 and sends a display request including that information to transmission / reception processing unit 1211. As a result, user terminal 21 displays a screen with the menu information content.

[0104] The content displayed on the screen can be changed by user 2. When user 2 changes the content and instructs the system to send the changes, a change request containing the changed content (change information) is sent from user terminal 21 and received by AP server 12 via Web server 11. As a result, the menu change unit 1216 reflects the content included in the change request in the menu information and updates (changes) the menu information. In this way, user 2 can change the content of the menu information at any time. After the dish 30 or menu is decided, user 2 may be automatically notified that a decision has been made.

[0105] In this embodiment, where the dish 30 or menu is modularized into dish elements, changes to the dish 30 or menu via the menu change unit 1216 can also be made in detail at the dish element level. For example, user 2 can check the menu information presented or displayed on the screen of user terminal 21 and issue change instructions on that screen at any level of menu, dish, or dish element, such as changing the entire menu, changing some of the dishes that make up the menu, or changing some of the dish elements that make up each dish.

[0106] As shown in Figure 8, the personal settings information includes information on other items. The natural language processing unit 1217 performs natural language processing on the content entered as text in this item, interprets the intent that user 2 tried to convey through the text, and generates conditions to be considered when deciding on the dish 30 and the menu. Therefore, if there are conditions generated by the natural language processing unit 1217, the menu determination unit 1215 reflects those conditions in the determination of the dish 30 or the menu.

[0107] For example, as shown in Figure 8, if the length of the specified period set by user 2 is 4 weeks, and the target weight loss expressed in the text entered in the other section is 5 kg, then user 2 must drastically reduce their calorie intake. In this case, the natural language processing unit 1217 will generate conditions for the menu determination unit 1215 to determine a dish 30 or menu in which, for example, the intake of carbohydrates and fats is reduced, while the intake of protein, vitamins, and minerals is increased.

[0108] The delivery instruction unit 1218 responds to the delivery or manufacture of the food module 300, or the transmission of recipe information 4. To this end, the delivery instruction unit 1218 refers to menu information and recipe information 4, as well as personal settings information and module management information.

[0109] It is not guaranteed that all of the food modules 300 to be delivered are in stock. Therefore, the delivery instruction unit 1218 checks, for each user 2, by referring to the module management information to see if the stock of food modules 300 to be delivered is equal to or greater than the quantity to be delivered. If this check reveals that there are missing food modules 300, the delivery instruction unit 1218 passes, for example, the address, the module ID of each food module 300 to be delivered, the number of each food module 300, etc., to the manufacturing request unit 1219.

[0110] As a result, the manufacturing request unit 1219 sends a message to the manufacturing plant 5 requesting that each user 2 manufacture the food module 300 to be produced, the quantity of that module, and deliver the manufactured food module 300. Consequently, any food module 300 that does not exist in stock will be manufactured by the manufacturing plant 5 and then delivered from the manufacturing plant 5 to user 2 or service provider 1. This message is intended to be sent, for example, to an employee terminal 51.

[0111] The information update unit 1220 handles the registration and updating of various types of information. The registration and updating of personal basic information, module basic information, module management information, nutrition method information, advocate management information, questionnaire information, and recipe information 4 are mainly performed by the information update unit 1220.

[0112] The settlement processing unit 1221 calculates, for example, the amount to be collected from each user 2 and the amount to be paid to each proposer 6, and performs settlement processing for collection from each user 2 and payment to each proposer 6. Through this settlement processing, collection from each user 2 and payment to each proposer 6 are performed automatically according to the settings.

[0113] The units 1212 to 1221, excluding the transmission / reception processing unit 1211, are functional components mainly implemented by the meal delivery service application. In this embodiment, the menu determination unit 1215 corresponds to the dish determination unit. The menu modification unit 1216 corresponds to the modification processing unit. The delivery instruction unit 1218 corresponds to the delivery processing unit and the recipe information transmission processing unit.

[0114] Recipe information 4 may be made available for user 2 to check at any time. In addition to the recipe information 30, there is also recipe information 4 for the food module 300. All of these may be made available for user 2 to check. This can be handled, for example, by the delivery instruction unit 1218, which acts as a recipe distribution instruction unit. In that case, the delivery instruction unit 1218 would correspond to the recipe information provision unit. The meal delivery service application causes the CPU 121 to execute various processes. Each unit 1212 to 1221 is implemented when any of these processes are executed. The following will explain in detail the processes that the meal delivery service application causes the CPU 121 to execute.

[0115] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the menu determination process. This menu determination process is for determining the dishes 30 or menu to be proposed to user 2, and is executed periodically, for example, at predetermined timings. The menu determination unit 1215 is realized when the CPU 121 executes this process. First, the menu determination process will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 9. The CPU 121 is the entity that executes the process. Note that the menu determination process may be executed only for user 2 in response to user 2's application to start using the food delivery service.

[0116] First, in step S1, the CPU 121 extracts the users 2 who should be selected for the dish 30 or menu. The extraction of users 2 can be done by referring to the personal settings information and menu information for each user 2. The users 2 who have a time interval shorter than the set time until the day when the dish 30 or menu should be proposed, as identified from the specified period information, are the target users 2 for whom menu information for the next delivery interval does not exist.

[0117] In the next step, S2, the CPU 121 selects one of the extracted subjects. In the following step, S3, the CPU 121 calculates the basal metabolic rate of the selected subject by referring to the basic personal information. This basal metabolic rate is information used to determine the calories that the subject should consume in one meal or one day's worth of meals. In step S3, the basal metabolic rate is also used to determine the daily calorie intake and the recommended daily intake of each nutrient. Since the recommended intake, i.e., user information, is determined (generated), the menu determination unit 1215 corresponds to the second acquisition unit in this embodiment. One day corresponds to a predetermined period in this embodiment.

[0118] If user 2 has selected a nutrition method, the recommended intake amounts are determined according to the framework represented by the selected nutrition method. For example, the recommended intake amounts for each nutrient may be determined by calculating the amount that should be consumed according to the basal metabolic rate and then performing operations according to the nutrition method on each calculation result. Through such determination, for example, if the nutrition method is the Mediterranean diet, the recommended intake amounts for each nutrient will be determined, promoting the intake of lipids, mainly olive oil, nuts, and fish, and the intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. To ensure that such intake is more reliably achieved, foods that should be prioritized may also be determined separately. In this way, the selected nutrition method can be used to determine the recommended intake amounts for each nutrient, and even to determine foods that should be prioritized.

[0119] In the subsequent step S4, the CPU 121 selects the dish 30, or the meal for which the menu will be determined. In the next step S5, the CPU 121 refers to the module basic information, personal basic information, and personal settings information to extract the food modules 300 that should be selected for the selected meal. After that, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0120] As described above, basic personal information includes information that can identify the present medical history and the presence or absence of allergens, as well as their specific characteristics. Therefore, by referring to basic personal information, it is possible to avoid extracting food modules 300 that contain ingredients undesirable for the subject. For example, a subject with a history of heart disease can avoid consuming foods such as red meat, butter, and cream, or foods that use such ingredients, or even if avoidance is not possible, their overall intake can be reduced. In addition, there are nutrients that are recommended for consumption depending on the disease. It becomes possible to ensure that such nutrients are consumed in greater quantities. For these reasons, basic personal information is referred to in order to extract food modules 300.

[0121] In step S6, the CPU 121 selects one or more food modules 300 from the extracted food modules 300 for each dish 30 to be decided. In step S7, which follows the selection, the CPU 121 determines whether the selected food modules 300, or combinations of food modules 300, satisfy a condition. If the condition is satisfied, the determination in step S7 is YES and the process moves to step S9. If the condition is not satisfied, the determination in step S7 is NO and the process moves to step S8.

[0122] In step S8, the CPU 121 selects a different food module 300 from the extracted ones. After this selection, the process returns to step S7. As a result, the processing loop formed in steps S7 and S8 is repeatedly executed until a food module 300 that satisfies the conditions is selected.

[0123] On the other hand, in step S9, the CPU 121 determines whether there are any other meals for which a dish 30 or menu should be determined. If such meals remain, the determination in step S9 is YES and the system returns to step S4. As a result, an unselected meal is chosen. Conversely, if no such meals remain, that is, if a dish 30 or menu has been determined for all meals to be considered, the determination in step S9 is NO, menu information is generated and stored in the menu information storage unit 1267, and the system proceeds to step S10.

[0124] In step S10, the CPU 121 determines whether there are any other unselected subjects. If there are still subjects to decide on the dish 30 or menu, the determination in step S10 is YES and the process returns to step S2. As a result, one of the unselected subjects is selected. On the other hand, if there are no more subjects to decide on the dish 30 or menu, the determination in step S10 is NO, and the menu decision process ends here.

[0125] Thus, the menu determination process, after extracting the target individuals, determines the dishes 30 or menu to be decided for each individual, while changing the target meals. This is to accommodate the fact that the requirements and the dishes 30 to be decided differ depending on the individual, and also to accommodate the differences in the framework for breakfast, lunch, and dinner depending on the nutrition method. For this reason, the extraction results of the food module 300 in step S5 may differ even for the same individual, due to differences in breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

[0126] There are multiple conditions used for the determination in step S7. Each condition should basically be set for every 30 dishes. For example, with staple foods, it is often not a problem if the same one is served consecutively. For this reason, it is not necessary to set a condition to avoid eating the same staple food (a condition to avoid eating fatigue). If such a condition is set, it is sufficient to set one that prevents the same staple food from being served for more than three meals. For side dishes, even if a condition to avoid eating fatigue is set, it is sufficient to set one that prevents them from being served the same on the same day. For soups, it is sufficient to set one that prevents them from being served the same on the same day, for example. For main dishes, it is also acceptable to set one that ensures an interval of four days or more between servings. For example, when deciding on 30 dishes or a menu on a weekly basis, at least for main dishes, it is acceptable to set a condition that prevents them from being served the same on the same day, while also ensuring an interval of four days or more between servings. It is also possible to allow user 2 to set the conditions to avoid eating fatigue.

[0127] Dishes 30 and menus are determined to be consistent with the calorie intake per meal, which is determined from the daily calorie intake. Consistency here primarily means matching the calorie base set by the food module 300. If the calorie intake has a lower limit, consistency means that the calorie intake is equal to or greater than that limit on the calorie base. With such determination, regardless of whether it is a dish 30 or a menu that is determined, or regardless of the type of dish 30 to be determined, the calorie intake of user 2 can be appropriately managed. If the food module 300 does not specify a calorie base, consistency may be defined as matching the calories within a predetermined tolerance range.

[0128] In contrast, the intake of each nutrient depends greatly on the type of dish 30. For example, staple foods are a desirable dish 30 for carbohydrate intake. Nutrients such as protein, fat, and minerals are mainly obtained from main dishes and soups (Figure 6). Therefore, the amount of each nutrient to be consumed is set for each type of dish 30. Accordingly, one condition is to ensure that the user 2 consumes more than the required amount (recommended intake) of the nutrients that are considered necessary (nutrient intake conditions).

[0129] Ideally, these conditions should be set for each nutrient deemed necessary. However, for the sake of explanation, we will focus on one nutrient and explain it further. We will assume that this nutrient is protein. The nutrient intake conditions are set for a specific period, ensuring that user 2 can consume the required amount within that period. In this embodiment, the period is one day. This period could also be one meal, one week, etc.

[0130] When each dish 30 is provided using a combination of food modules 300 as shown in Figure 2, protein will be mainly obtained from the main dish. This is because the main dish contains the largest amount of protein compared to the other dishes 30. The types of nutrients contained and the amount of each nutrient will differ depending on the type of dish 30. In addition, as described above, user 2 can set the target dish range and target meal range (Figure 8). For this reason, the nutrient intake conditions are set for each dish 30 specified in the target dish range, taking into account the specified content of the target meal range.

[0131] For example, if user 2 needs to consume a high-protein diet, then for each dish 30, regardless of the specifications within the target dish range, it is necessary to select a meal module 300 with a relatively higher protein content. If the target dish range is all meals, or if the target dish range is three meals, then the total protein intake must be greater than or equal to the required amount. In this case, in addition to the nutrient intake conditions for each dish 30, a daily nutrient intake condition will also be set. Therefore, in step S7, for example, if the meal is breakfast or lunch, it is checked whether the nutrient intake conditions for each dish 30 are met. If the meal is dinner, instead of the nutrient intake conditions for each dish 30, it is checked whether the daily nutrient intake condition is met. If the target dish range is not all meals, or if the target dish range is not three meals, then it is sufficient to check whether the nutrient intake conditions for each dish 30 are met. To be consistent with the recommended intake, which is the required amount, means to satisfy these nutrient intake conditions.

[0132] In a low-protein diet, the nutrient intake requirements for each meal (30 servings) and the daily nutrient intake requirements are set as upper limits, not lower limits. Therefore, meeting the recommended daily intake (the required amount) also means meeting these nutrient intake requirements. This applies to nutrients other than protein as well.

[0133] In this way, nutrient intake conditions are set according to the range of target dishes and the specified details within that range, and for each meal, it is checked whether the set nutrient intake conditions are met. As a result, in this embodiment, the dishes 30 are determined so that the user 2 can consume the desired nutrients in the desired amounts within the set period.

[0134] To effectively manage the nutrient intake of each user 2, user 2 or user terminal 21 may provide information to the information processing device 12 indicating the amount of nutrients actually consumed by user 2. However, for meals provided to user 2 through the information processing device 12, such information provision is unnecessary because the information processing device 12 itself knows the amount of nutrients.

[0135] On the other hand, for meals consumed by user 2 without going through the information processing device 12 or service provider 1, it is preferable that user 2 or user terminal 21 provide information for the information processing device 12 to recognize or estimate the amount of nutrients consumed. For example, user 2 may take a picture of the meal with user terminal 21 and provide the image data and comments to the information processing device 12. Based on the data provided by user terminal 21, the information processing device 12 may estimate the nutrients contained in the meal, record them as the amount of nutrients consumed, and consider this when selecting the amount of nutrients (food elements) to be provided in subsequent meals. In addition, user terminal 21 may compare the amount of each nutrient consumed within a set period with the recommended intake and visually present or display any excess or deficiency to user 2, thereby encouraging them to understand their current situation and improve their diet.

[0136] While I will omit a detailed explanation, there are other conditions to check whether or not step S7 is met. For example, there are conditions to prevent excessive repetition of the same ingredients within a single meal, and conditions to avoid undesirable food combinations of dishes 30. There are also conditions to prevent the mixing of dishes 30 from different genres within a single menu. These conditions ensure that, for example, if the genre is Japanese food, Western dishes 30 will not be mixed in.

[0137] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the delivery instruction process. This delivery instruction process is the process of delivering the food module 300 to user 2, and, like the menu determination process described above, is executed periodically, for example, at predetermined timings. Next, we will refer to Figure 10 and explain the delivery instruction process in detail.

[0138] First, in step S21, the CPU 121 extracts the recipients of the food module 300 from among the users 2. The menu information contains information indicating the delivery date. By issuing a delivery instruction for the food module 300 based on this menu information, the delivery date information is stored. Thus, the recipients can be identified by referring to the menu information.

[0139] In the next step, S22, the CPU 121 selects one of the extracted subjects. In the following step, S23, the CPU 121 refers to the personal settings information to determine whether the subject has chosen to send recipe information 4. If the subject has chosen to send recipe information 4, the determination in step S23 is YES and the process proceeds to step S24. If the subject has not chosen to send recipe information 4, the determination in step S23 is NO and the process proceeds to step S25.

[0140] In step S24, the CPU 121 refers to the dishes 30 indicated for each meal in the menu information, or the menu determination result, and extracts the necessary recipe information 4 from the recipe information storage unit 1269. The extracted recipe information 4 is saved together with the dishes 30 for each meal, or the menu determination result, as information for screen display. After that, the process proceeds to step S29.

[0141] Meanwhile, in step S25, the CPU 121 refers to the menu information for each meal, or the menu determination result, to identify the food modules 300 to be delivered and their quantities, and refers to the module management information to check the inventory of the food modules 300 to be delivered. In the following step S26, the CPU 121 determines from the inventory check results whether or not there is inventory for the food modules 300 to be delivered. If there is inventory for the food modules 300 to be delivered, the determination in step S26 is YES and the process moves to step S27. If there is no inventory for the food modules 300 to be delivered, the determination in step S27 is NO and the process moves to step S28.

[0142] In step S27, the CPU 121 creates a delivery instruction message to deliver the food module 300 to user 2. This delivery instruction message is sent, for example, to employee terminal 14, that is, to instruct an employee to deliver the food module 300. Therefore, the message includes personal information such as user 2's name, address, and telephone number, as well as the module ID and quantity of each food module 300 to be delivered. After creating such a delivery instruction message, the process proceeds to step S29.

[0143] In step S28, the CPU 121 assumes a manufacturing plant 5 and creates messages requesting the manufacture of food modules 300 and delivery requests requesting the delivery of the manufactured food modules 300 to user 2, respectively. The process then proceeds to step S29. The delivery request is a message with content similar to the delivery instruction. The manufacturing request is, for example, to request the manufacture of the portion of food modules 300 to be delivered by the delivery request. Both of these requests are intended to be sent, for example, to an employee terminal 51.

[0144] In step S29, the CPU 121 determines whether there are any other unselected subjects. If there are still subjects to whom the food module 300 or recipe information 4 should be sent, the determination in step S29 is YES and the process returns to step S22. As a result, one of the unselected subjects is selected. On the other hand, if there are no subjects remaining, the determination in step S29 is NO and the process proceeds to step S30.

[0145] In step S30, the CPU 121 sends the created delivery instructions, manufacturing requests, and delivery requests. A manufacturing request is sent if there are food modules 300 with insufficient stock. Therefore, when sending a manufacturing request, the CPU creates and sends a manufacturing request to secure stock. As a result of the delivery, the stock quantity of the food modules 300 decreases. Therefore, the module management information of the target food modules 300 is also updated. After these steps are completed, the delivery instruction processing is finished.

[0146] In this embodiment, not only delivery instructions but also manufacturing requests and delivery requests are sent together. This is to further reduce the effort required for each employee of the service provider 1 and the manufacturing plant 5 to confirm their work. Note that the manufacturing request (message) may be sent to a different information processing device instead of the AP server 12. For example, the message for the manufacturing request may be confirmed by an employee, who then submits the manufacturing request. Various modifications are possible, including such modifications.

[0147] Meal package 3 may also be used to store, for example, two or more food modules 300 containing dishes 30. When using meal package 3 in this way, employees must check the contents of each meal and, if necessary, place the food modules 300 into meal package 3. In addition, each meal module 300 and each meal package 3 may have a sticker or similar printed with text that allows the user 3 to recognize the associated meal, for example, "Breakfast on March 13, 2025." Workers perform these tasks during delivery. The transmission of recipe information 4 also ensures that the user 3 can recognize the associated meal.

[0148] There may be situations where the food module 300, which was ordered to be manufactured to secure inventory, needs to be delivered before it arrives. In such cases, it would be sufficient to send only a delivery request, for example. Considering that such situations may occur, it is desirable to assume the securing of a sufficient amount of inventory when ordering manufacturing to secure inventory. The module management information is updated by the information update unit 1220 upon arrival of the food module 300.

[0149] In this embodiment, the meals 30 are basically intended to be provided on a calorie basis, because it is assumed that a relatively large number of people will use the service for the purpose of dieting or calorie restriction. However, it is thought that there are also many people who want to restrict calories to some extent while efficiently consuming specific nutrients. For example, athletes may want to consume a lot of protein while keeping calories low. For this reason, it may be possible to allow users 2 to set the nutrients they particularly want to consume and the amount thereof, anticipating such individuals. This can also be handled by manipulating the combination of food modules based on calories (energy amount). For example, if the total calories of one meal are to be 700 kcal, one main dish may be added instead of a staple food and side dishes. The determination of the menu, including such combinations of meals 30, may be performed by AI.

[0150] To enable more appropriate suggestions for dishes 30 or menus, it may be possible to acquire information that can estimate the calorie consumption of user 2, such as information obtained from a wearable device like a smartwatch, and reflect this in the suggestions for dishes 30 or menus. Alternatively, or in conjunction with such information, users may be required to periodically input information such as their weight.

[0151] In this embodiment, food modules 300 are delivered in units of 30 dishes. Delivery may also be done in units of food modules 300. That is, for a main dish, user 2 may specify (set) delivery of only the food module 300, which contains either the ingredients or the sauce. In this case, user 2 can, for example, add their preferred sauce, which is delivered as a food module 300, to ingredients they have prepared themselves. This can further improve convenience.

[0152] As described above, in this embodiment, not only actual allergens but also ingredients or dishes 30 that the user cannot eat or dislikes can be set as allergens (Figure 7). However, it is possible that the user may newly recognize such ingredients, dishes 30, or cooking methods through the provision of the service. For this reason, it is also possible to allow the user 2 to specify such ingredients, dishes 30, or cooking methods and have them reflected in the decision of the dish 30. Similarly, it is also possible to allow the user 2 to specify their favorite dishes 30, favorite ingredients, or favorite cooking methods and have them reflected in the decision of the dish 30. Such feedback can further improve the quality of the service.

[0153] 1. Service provider, 1A. Personal information database, 1B. Module basic information database, 1C. Nutritional method information database, 2. Customer, 3. Meal package, 4. Recipe information, 5. Manufacturing plant, 6. Proponent, 30. Dishes, 300. Food packages.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: a first acquisition unit that acquires cooking element information representing the energy amount of cooking elements that constitute a dish and the amount of at least one nutrient contained in the cooking elements, which are food items that make up a dish and are combined in a plurality of units to form the dish; a second acquisition unit that acquires user information representing the recommended intake amount of the user for the at least one nutrient within a predetermined period; and a cooking determination unit that selects a set of cooking elements that are a plurality of cooking elements that are consistent with an energy amount standard which is an energy amount set for each type of dish and is consistent with the recommended intake amount to determine a proposed dish.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dish determination unit is capable of determining a proposed menu which is a set of multiple proposed dishes that are consistent with the energy quantity standard, and which is consistent with the total energy quantity standard which is the sum of the energy quantity standards for the multiple proposed dishes, and which is consistent with the recommended intake.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the proposed menu includes a single-element dish composed of one culinary element and a multi-element dish composed of multiple culinary elements.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the proposed menu and / or proposed dish includes a dish element in which the amount of energy and nutrients are predetermined, and an adjustable dish element in which the amount of energy and / or nutrients can be adjusted.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each user can select at least one of a plurality of diet management models used to determine the recommended intake, each representing a different method of diet management, and the cooking determination unit can determine the suggested cooking based on the diet management model selected by the user.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a recipe information providing unit capable of providing at least one of the recipe information for the proposed dish determined by the dish determination unit and the recipe information for at least one of the plurality of dish elements constituting the proposed dish.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user can set a delivery target to indicate whether or not they wish to have at least one of the suggested dish and the dish elements delivered, and further comprises: a delivery processing unit that performs processing for the delivery of at least one of the suggested dish and the dish elements if the delivery target setting indicates a desire for delivery, and a recipe information transmission processing unit that performs processing for transmitting at least one of the recipe information for the suggested dish and the recipe information for the dish elements if the delivery target setting does not indicate a desire for delivery.

8. A program for causing a computer to function as an information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A method comprising: causing an information processing device to acquire cooking element information representing the energy amount of cooking elements that constitute a dish and are combined to form the dish, and the amount of at least one nutrient contained in the cooking elements; causing the device to acquire user information representing the recommended intake amount of the user for the at least one nutrient within a predetermined period; and determining a proposed dish by referring to the cooking element information and the user information to select a set of cooking elements that are consistent with an energy amount standard, which is the energy amount set for each type of dish, and that are consistent with the recommended intake amount.

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