Nutritional optimization system and method

Abstract

A method and system for proposing nutritional supplementation for a person comprising the steps of receiving personal information, e.g., relating to health and diet, about the person, determining a health model for the person, determining an effect on the health model for at least two nutritional supplements, optimizing a proposed nutritional supplementation for the person based on the personal information about the person and effect for the at least two nutritional supplements, health model, and outputting a proposed nutritional supplementation including amounts of the at least two nutritional supplements. The system may also receive economic considerations, e.g., a budget, for the nutritional supplementation, and further optimize the nutritional supplementation based on the economic considerations.

1 . A method for outputting a set of records, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) defining a user characteristic;    (b) classifying the user based on the defined user characteristic;    (c) receiving a specification from the user for a class of information relating to a plurality of records;    (d) determining economic parameters for each of the plurality of records; and    (e) optimizing a presented set of records based on the determined economic parameters and the defined user characteristic.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the defined user characteristic comprises a population grouping.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of records relates to nutritional supplementation for a person.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the user characteristic relates to health and nutritional information.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the presented set of records relates to health and nutritional information.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of determining a risk tolerance of the user and further optimizing the presented set of records to achieve a maximum benefit within the determined risk tolerance.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of analyzing the presented set of records for safety to the user.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of receiving feedback from the user relating to the presented set of records and re-optimizing the presented set of records to generate a revised presented set of records.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising repeating the re-optimization as many times as the user provides feedback.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the determined economic parameters comprise a budget.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of records is in a stored database.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the database is remote from the user.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of optimization procedures and selecting at least one of the optimization procedures for optimizing a presented set of records for the user.  
     
     
         14 . A method for presenting records to a user, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving an input from the user;    (b) defining a subset of records selected from an electronic database containing a set of records, based on an information content of a respective record and the user input;    (c) quantifying a risk associated with reliance on an information content of a respective record;    (d) determining economic parameters associated with the subset of records; and    (e) presenting the subset of records automatically jointly optimized based on the determined economic parameters, and the quantified risk associated with the selected record.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the user input comprises health information.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the user input comprises a risk tolerance.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein a user interface is provided to assist the user in making selections.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the economic parameters correspond to a cost associated with a respective selected record.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the input comprises a semantic expression.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of determining a user preference and further optimizing the presented set of records based on the determined user preference.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of receiving feedback from the user relating to the presented set of records and re-optimizing the presented set of records to generate a revised presented set of records.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of optimization procedures and selecting at least one of the optimization procedures for optimizing a presented set of records for the user.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the step of transacting a sale relating to a subject of at least one presented set of records with the person.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein said sale comprises an electronic data transmission between a client system and a server system.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the electronic data transmission between the client system and the server system is carried over the Internet.  
     
     
         26 . A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a series of computer implemented instructions for controlling a computer to execute the method according to  claim 14 .  
     
     
         27 . The medium according to  claim 26 , further comprising the steps of generating a graphic user interface and interacting with the user through the graphic user interface.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus for outputting a set of records, comprising: 
 (a) an input defining a user characteristic;    (b) classifying the user based on the defined user characteristic;    (c) receiving a specification from the user for a class of information relating to a plurality of records;    (d) determining economic parameters for each of the plurality of records; and    (e) optimizing a presented set of records based on the determined economic parameters and the defined user characteristic.    
     
     
         29 . A method for presenting records to a user, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) determining a user characteristic of the user;    (b) defining a set of records based on a classification of information therewithin;    (c) determining economic parameters for each of the set of records; and    (d) presenting the set of records optimized based on the determined economic parameters and the defined user characteristic.    
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the user characteristic comprises health information.  
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the user characteristic comprises a nutritional status.  
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein each record corresponds to a respective nutritional supplement.  
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the economic parameters correspond to a cost of a respective nutritional supplement.  
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said presenting comprises outputting a sorted list of the set of records having an order dependent on the determined economic parameters and the defined user characteristic.  
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the user characteristic comprises a population grouping.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising the steps of determining a risk tolerance of the user and further optimizing the presented set of records based on the determined risk tolerance.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising the steps of receiving feedback from the user relating to the presented set of records and re-optimizing the presented set of records to generate a revised presented set of records.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of optimization procedures and selecting at least one of the optimization procedures for optimizing a presented set of records for the user.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising the step of transacting a sale of at least one presented set of records with the person.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein said sale comprises an electronic data transmission between a client system and a server system.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the electronic data transmission between the client system and the server system is carried over the Internet.  
     
     
         42 . A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a series of computer implemented instructions for controlling a computer to execute the method according to  claim 29 .  
     
     
         43 . The medium according to  claim 42 , further comprising the steps of generating a graphic user interface and interacting with the user through the graphic user interface.  
     
     
         44 . A method for presenting records to a user, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) determining a user relevance parameter;    (b) defining a set of records based on a classification of information therewithin;    (c) determining economic parameters for each of the set of records; and    (d) presenting the set of records optimized based on the determined economic parameters and the determined relevance parameter.    
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the user characteristic comprises health information.  
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the user characteristic comprises a nutritional status.  
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein each record corresponds to a respective nutritional supplement.  
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the economic parameters correspond to a cost of a respective nutritional supplement.  
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein said presenting comprises outputting a sorted list of the set of records having an order dependent on the determined economic parameters and the defined user characteristic.  
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the user characteristic comprises a population grouping.  
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 44 , further comprising the steps of determining a risk tolerance of the user and further optimizing the presented set of records based on the determined risk tolerance.  
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 44 , further comprising the steps of receiving feedback from the user relating to the presented set of records and re-optimizing the presented set of records to generate a revised presented set of records.  
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 44 , further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of optimization procedures and selecting at least one of the optimization procedures for optimizing a presented set of records for the user.  
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 44 , further comprising the step of transacting a sale of at least one presented set of records with the person.  
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein said sale comprises an electronic data transmission between a client system and a server system.  
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 55 , wherein the electronic data transmission between the client system and the server system is carried over the Internet.  
     
     
         57 . A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a series of computer implemented instructions for controlling a computer to execute the method according to  claim 44 .  
     
     
         58 . The medium according to  claim 57 , further comprising the steps of generating a graphic user interface and interacting with the user through the graphic user interface.  
     
     
         59 . A method for outputting a set of records, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving a specification from the user for a class of information relating to a plurality of records, said plurality of records having associated economic parameters;    (b) determining a relevance parameter; and    (c) optimizing a presented ranking of the records based on the economic parameters and the relevance parameter.    
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 59 , wherein the defined user characteristic comprises a population grouping.  
     
     
         61 . The method according to  claim 59 , further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of optimization procedures and selecting at least one of the optimization procedures for optimizing a presented set of records for the user.  
     
     
         62 . The method according to  claim 59 , further comprising the steps of providing a plurality of relevance profiles, and selecting a relevance profile to define the relevance parameter.  
     
     
         63 . The method according to  claim 59 , further comprising the step of transacting a sale of at least one record with the user.  
     
     
         64 . The method according to  claim 59 , further comprising the steps of providing a client terminal having an interface for the user, providing a server for receiving information from the user and generating the presented ranked records, and communicating between the client terminal and server over a computer network.  
     
     
         65 . A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a series of computer implemented instructions for controlling a computer to execute the method according to  claim 59 .  
     
     
         66 . The medium according to  claim 65 , further comprising the steps of generating a graphic user interface and interacting with the person through the graphic user interface.  
     
     
         67 . A method of producing a ranked set of results for a user inquiry, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) determining a set of characteristics for a class of users;    (b) classifying a user with respect to the class based on a user characteristic;    (c) receiving an inquiry from the user;    (d) producing a set of responses to the inquiry, at least one response having an associated economic parameter; and    (e) ranking a set of query results based on the set of characteristics and economic parameter.    
     
     
         68 . The method according to  claim 67 , further comprising providing a plurality of classes, wherein said classifying step comprises classifying the user within a single class.  
     
     
         69 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the economic parameter comprises a price.  
     
     
         70 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the ranking gives preference to relevant and economically feasible results.  
     
     
         71 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the economic parameter is defined for the user.  
     
     
         72 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the user characteristic is defined by the user.  
     
     
         73 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the user characteristic is determined automatically.