Nutrient content identification method and apparatus
View Patent ↗Methods for calculating nutrient content information. In one embodiment, the methods comprise: receiving a recipe having a list of ingredients and quantities, for each of the ingredients a corresponding record is found within a database of known records, the records are associated to quantities and nutritional values. The units of measurement of the recipe ingredients and the identified record are compared. When the units are the same, no conversion is performed. When the units are different, the units of the known record are converted using a conversion factor derived from a relationship between the differing units of measurement. In one variant, the conversion factor may be identified from a table of conversion factors relating various units of measurement to one another. Finally, the converted or the known nutritional values are multiplied by a ratio of the quantity of the ingredient in the recipe to the quantity of the known record.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a recipe comprising (i) a plurality of entries, each entry comprising an ingredient descriptor and a quantity associated therewith, said quantity having a respective first unit of measurement, and (ii) a plurality of instructions for execution; and
finding a match for individual ones of said plurality of entries of said recipe within a database, said database comprising a plurality of records, each of said plurality of records comprising a known ingredient descriptor, a known quantity having a second unit of measurement, and a plurality of known nutritional values, said act of finding a match comprising for each of said plurality of entries of said recipe:
identifying a subset of said plurality of records in which a known ingredient descriptor thereof matches a respective ingredient descriptor of a one of said plurality of entries;
when a second unit of measurement of at least one record of said subset matches a first unit of measurement of said one of said plurality of entries, selecting said at least one record from said subset; and
when an at least one record cannot be selected from said subset as having a second unit of measurement which matches said first unit of measurement, providing said subset to a user via a visual display and receiving a selection from said user.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating total nutritional values for said recipe using said a plurality of known nutritional values of said selected ones of said subset for each of said plurality of entries.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising enabling said user to indicate consumption of at least a portion of said recipe via selection of a title of said recipe on a user device including said visual display, said indication causing a respective at least portion of said calculated one or more total nutritional values to be entered into a nutrition logging application.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
receiving one or more changes to said ingredient descriptor, said quantity, and/or said first unit of measurement of one or more of said plurality of entries; and
performing said act of finding a match based on said one or more changes.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said recipe is received via user entry of a web address and said method further comprises parsing content at said web address to identify said plurality of entries and said plurality of instructions for execution.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a second database specifically associated to said user and storing said recipe thereto.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said act of storing said recipe at said second database comprises storing information indicative of said selected ones of said subset for each of said plurality of entries of said recipe and said plurality of instructions for execution of said recipe.
8. A method comprising:
receiving a recipe comprising a plurality of food-related entries, each food-related entry comprising a descriptor and a quantity associated therewith, said quantity having a respective first unit of measurement; and
finding a match for individual ones of said plurality of food-related entries of said recipe within a database, said database comprising a plurality of records, each of said plurality of records comprising a known item descriptor, a known quantity having a second unit of measurement, and a plurality of known nutritional values, said act of finding a match comprising for each of said plurality of food-related entries of said recipe:
identifying a subset of said plurality of records in which a known item descriptor thereof matches a respective descriptor of a one of said plurality of food-related entries;
when a second unit of measurement of at least one record of said subset matches a first unit of measurement of said one of said plurality of food-related entries, selecting said at least one record from said subset; and
when an at least one record cannot be selected from said subset as having a second unit of measurement which matches said first unit of measurement:
informing a user that an update to at least one of said descriptor, said quantity, and/or said first unit of measurement of one or more of said plurality of food-related entries is needed;
receiving said update from said user; and
re-performing said act of identifying and said act of selecting based on said update.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising calculating total nutritional values for said recipe using said a plurality of known nutritional values of said selected ones of said subset for each of said plurality of food-related entries.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising enabling said user to indicate on a user device consumption of at least a portion of said recipe via selection of a title of said recipe, said indication causing a respective at least portion of said calculated one or more total nutritional values to be entered into a nutrition logging application.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the database comprises a crowd-sourced database of user entered records.
12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising storing said update for utilization in subsequent selection of at least one record.
13. A server apparatus comprising:
a transceiver;
a storage apparatus; and
a processor configured to execute at least one computer-readable application stored at said storage apparatus, said computer-readable application comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to when executed cause said processor to:
receive a recipe comprising a plurality of entries, each entry comprising an ingredient descriptor and a quantity associated therewith, said quantity having a respective first unit of measurement;
use said transceiver to communicate with a database comprising a plurality of records, each of said plurality of records comprising a known ingredient descriptor, a known quantity having a second unit of measurement, and a plurality of known nutritional values;
for each of said plurality of entries of said recipe:
identify a subset of said plurality of records in which a known ingredient descriptor thereof matches a respective ingredient descriptor of a one of said plurality of entries;
when a second unit of measurement of at least one record of said subset matches a first unit of measurement of said one of said plurality of entries, select said at least one record from said subset; and
when an at least one record cannot be selected from said subset as having a second unit of measurement which matches said first unit of measurement:
provide said subset to a user via a visual display;
inform said user that a selection from said subset or an update to at least one of said ingredient descriptor, said quantity, and/or said first unit of measurement of one or more of said plurality of entries is required;
receive said selection or said update from said user; and
when an update is received, re-perform said act of identifying and said act of selecting based on said update.
14. The server of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to when executed cause the processor to: calculate total nutritional values for said recipe using said a plurality of known nutritional values of said selected ones of said subset for each of said plurality of entries.
15. The server of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to when executed cause the processor to: enable said user to indicate on a user device consumption of at least a portion of said recipe via selection of a title of said recipe, said indication configured to cause a respective at least portion of said calculated one or more total nutritional values to be entered into a nutrition log.
16. The server of claim 15 , wherein said user comprises a user of a client device in communication with said server apparatus and configured to run an application thereon to maintain said nutrition log.
17. The server of claim 15 , wherein said recipe is received by accessing a website associated with a URL provided by said user and parsing contents thereof.
18. The server of claim 15 , wherein said recipe is received via said user entering raw text which is provided to said server.