Pet Food Selection System Using Nutritional Profile Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pet food products are often mass-manufactured to meet average needs, failing to account for the unique nutritional requirements of individual pets, leading to difficulties in finding suitable customized diets that cater to specific species, breeds, health conditions, and lifestyles.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for characterizing an animal's nutritional needs by creating a profile based on various criteria, including species, activity level, medical history, and health status, and selecting pre-manufactured food products from a database that match these profiles, ensuring tailored nutritional content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mass-manufactured pet food is used to meet average needs, then production efficiency and cost are improved, but nutritional precision and individualization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pet food market and product formulation into standardized nutritional profiles (e.g., puppy, adult, senior, breed-specific, health-condition-specific). Each profile represents a segmented category with defined nutritional requirements, allowing mass production of targeted formulations rather than generic one-size-fits-all products. This segmentation enables both efficient manufacturing and improved nutritional precision for specific pet categories.
2Manufacturing precision
If customized pet food formulations are created for individual pets, then nutritional precision is improved, but device complexity and time consumption deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining multiple standardized nutritional profiles that cover various pet categories (life stages, breeds, health conditions). These profiles are prepared in advance with specific ingredient compositions and nutritional specifications. When a pet owner needs food, they simply select the appropriate pre-defined profile rather than creating a custom formulation from scratch, thereby maintaining nutritional precision while reducing system complexity and user burden.
3Manufacturing precision
If extensive investigation is conducted to find suitable pet food, then nutritional precision is improved, but time consumption and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system in the form of a computerized database and selection platform that stores multiple pre-formulated pet food options with detailed nutritional profiles. The system acts as an intermediary between pet owners and food products, automatically matching pets with suitable food formulations based on input parameters (pet characteristics, health conditions). This intermediary eliminates the need for extensive manual investigation by providing automated, personalized recommendations.
4Manufacturing precision
If veterinarians provide personalized recommendations, then nutritional precision is improved, but accessibility and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling pet owners to independently access and use the nutritional profile database through user-friendly interfaces (websites, mobile applications). Owners can input their pet's information and receive personalized food recommendations without requiring veterinarian intervention. The system empowers users to perform what previously required professional expertise, thereby maintaining nutritional precision while dramatically improving accessibility and convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatus for characterizing the nutritional needs of an animal. The method can include providing an animal profile comprising one or more animal criteria. The method can also include extracting, from a first database, one or more lists of ingredients associated with the one or more animal criteria. In addition, the method can include determining a rating associated with the extracted lists of ingredients, and comparing the rating with at least one ingredient from the one or more lists of ingredients. A nutritional profile of the animal can then be determined based on at least one of the animal profile, the extracted lists of ingredients, and the rating of the extracted lists of ingredients.