System and apparatus for a consumer to determine food/medicine interactions on a real-time basis

Abstract

The system and apparatus for this invention is disclosed and declared to elaborate various actors, entities and other physical and logical units that collaborate and participate through multiple scenarios and mediums to detect harmful ingredients in food, OTC remedies and related consumables as specified by their nutritional and ingredients labels that may cause allergic reaction, health risks or any incompatibility between prescription drugs and normal food/ingredient consumption of an individual, on an automated, real-time system. The invention uses scanning based technologies (Barcode Scanning and Text Scanning) as well as non scanning based technologies via an interactive communication channel that could be used from a centralized access medium or an offline setup that (a) translates various terminologies used in nutritional and ingredients labels, (b) compares the composition information with the customer's profile, and (c) alerts the customer to the presence of harmful ingredients or prescribed (recommended) food substance.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer-based system for a customer to determine the compatibility of food/medicine interactions on an automated real time basis detecting harmful/incompatible ingredients in food, drugs and related consumables as specified by their nutritional and ingredients labels that may cause allergic reaction, health risks and any incompatibility with the normal food habits or prescribed drug intake of a specific individual comprising: 
 a. Any suitable scanning device, such as barcode or text scanner for reading barcode or text on the product's label capturing information by scanning the item(s);    b. Uploading the scanned information to a centralized or distributed system working with a single central repository or distributed repositories of product related information;    c. Mapping the information uploaded with the nutrition and ingredients data;    d. Comparing this data with the Customer Profile as explained in  claim 2  with ingredients or composition that may be incompatible and/or cause allergic reaction or health risk and therefore avoided, or, conversely, is professionally recommended as a dietary requirement and therefore include;    e. Generating an alert, that signals the presence of harmful ingredients or required dietary ingredients, audibly with adjoining text.    
     
     
         2 . A computer-based system for a customer to determine the compatibility of food/medicine interactions on an automated real time basis of  claim 1  wherein Customer-Profile information is stored, and said information includes harmful food substance, allergic ingredients in food, drugs and related consumables incompatible and/or harmful to the customer-establishing an Avoidance Profile, and/or conversely, dietary requirements beneficial to the customer, establishing a Requirement Profile.  
     
     
         3 . A computer-based system for a customer to determine the compatibility of food/medicine interactions on an automated real time basis of  claim 1  wherein the information scanned is embedding Customer Profile information of  claim 2  comprising: 
 a. A scanning device, such as barcode or text scanners, providing output information indicative of the information scanned; and  
 b. An application process that takes the data as an input and compare it with the stored Customer-Profile.  
 
     
     
         4 . A computer-based system for a customer to determine the compatibility of food/medicine interactions on an automated real time basis comprising: 
 a. A text-based scanning device providing product information by scanning the nutrition and ingredients labels of item(s);    b. Handling this data via an embedded application as described in  claim 3;     c. Comparing this data with the Customer Profile as explained in  claim 2  for possible ingredients or composition that may cause allergy, health risks or might be prescribed as a healthy and necessary food substance; and    d. Generating an alert to the customer, in an audible and visual signal, as to the presence of harmful ingredients or prescribed food substance or restate  1   e  above.    
     
     
         5 . A computer-based system for a customer to determine the compatibility of food/medicine interactions on an automated real time basis comprising: 
 a. An application embedded into existing independent systems upon an intent of use by the system owner and to be able to execute upon the occurrence of an event (for e.g. Search request, Add to Cart etc) to capture product information related but not limited to nutritional composition and ingredients of item(s); and    b. Comparing this data with the Customer Profile as explained in  claim 2  for possible ingredients or composition that may cause allergy, health risks or might be prescribed as a healthy and necessary food substance; and    c. Alerting the customer in the presence of harmful ingredients or prescribed food substance by sending an audible and visual signal.    
     
     
         6 . A computer-based system to be used for processes explained in  claim 1 ,  claim 4 , and  claim 5  comprising: a centralized application that would facilitate users to create their own Customer Profiles through an interactive channel specifying information related but not limited to allergies, illnesses, prescriptions and dietary requirements.  
     
     
         7 . A computer-based system to be used for processes explained in  claim 1 ,  claim 4 , and  claim 5  comprising: applications that would facilitate users to access their own Customer Profiles through different types of interactive channel, such as by scanning or swiping a barcode subscriber card, entering a login manually, recognizing finger prints as well as iris identification, or whatever auto-ID developing or evolving technology becomes standard, practiced or customary.