Centralized Food Data System for Accurate Nutrition Logging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current food tracking systems are inefficient and inaccurate due to incomplete databases, crowd-sourced data issues, and lack of detailed nutrition information, making it difficult for users to accurately log their food intake, especially when consuming restaurant meals or varied food items.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses electronically readable dietary tags and a smartphone-based tag reading system to generate and decode nutritional information, allowing users to scan tags for precise logging and modification of food items, including portion sizes and substitutions, using a central database for accurate and efficient tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If crowd-sourced databases are used to provide food information, then the quantity of food data is increased, but the accuracy and reliability of the data deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized database system that acts as an intermediary between multiple food tracking applications and authoritative nutrition sources. This central database validates, standardizes, and stores nutrition information from crowd-sourced contributions while filtering out inaccurate data through verification processes, thus maintaining data quantity while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where nutrition data is continuously validated against authoritative sources and user corrections are processed to improve database accuracy. The central database provides feedback to contributing applications about data quality issues, enabling continuous improvement of data reliability while maintaining comprehensive food information
2Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive food databases are created to include all food items, then the versatility of food tracking is improved, but the complexity of data management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal central database system that serves multiple food tracking applications simultaneously. This single database infrastructure supports diverse food items, restaurant menus, and dietary tracking needs across different applications, achieving versatility while reducing overall system complexity through consolidation
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the complex task of food data management into distinct functional components: data collection from multiple sources, validation against authoritative references, standardization of nutrition information, and distribution to various applications. This segmentation makes the overall system more manageable while maintaining comprehensive food coverage
3Measurement precision
If manual searching and selection of food items is required, then the accuracy of food identification can be improved, but the time required for logging food intake increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-organizing food items in the central database with standardized names, categories, and nutrition information. Restaurant menus and food items are pre-loaded and categorized before users need them, allowing rapid retrieval and accurate identification without manual searching during the logging process
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copied representations of food items from authoritative sources and stores them in the central database. These copied food entries include pre-extracted nutrition information and standardized descriptors, enabling fast matching and accurate identification during food logging without requiring users to manually search or input detailed food descriptions
Data Source
AI summary
An improved system for accessing food data and tracking a user's food intake includes a nutrition information system 600 and a mobile PDA or smartphone-based tag reading system 900. The two systems 600 and 900 are configured to communication. The mobile tag reading system 900 includes a tag capture device 902 for reading the nutritional tag, and a decoder 904 for decoding the header or visual effects included in the nutritional tag to identify the predetermined profile. The decoder 904 is also configured to decode the nutritional tag to generate the subset of the dietary product descriptions and associated nutritional values based upon the predetermined profile. A tracking log 908 is included for storing the associated nutritional values or the modified associated nutritional values based upon input from the user.