System and method for providing flavor advisement and enhancement

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a visual representation of a flavor or texture profile based on flavor or texture preferences of a user with respect to each of a plurality of flavor or texture categories or based on flavor or texture characteristic information representing flavor or texture characteristics of a product or recipe for each of a plurality of flavor or texture categories. The flavor or texture preferences of a user and the flavor or texture characteristics of a product or recipe with respect to each of a plurality of flavor or texture categories is determined by way of a method and apparatus for determining a flavor or texture profile for a user and a method and apparatus for determining a flavor or texture profile for a food element, respectively. Also described is a method and apparatus for providing food element recommendations based on flavor or texture.

1 . A method of generating a visual representation of a profile, comprising:
 obtaining preference information representing preferences of a user with respect to each of a plurality of categories;   determining, using a microprocessor, a length of a plurality of graphical elements, each graphical element being assigned to one of the categories, based on the preference information corresponding to the respective category, wherein the length of each graphical element indicates the relative preference for a category with respect to the other categories; and   disposing on a computer generated display screen the plurality of graphical elements each having a display length determined by the determining, the disposing positioning the plurality of graphical elements around a circle such that each of the graphical elements has a portion of an external boundary in contact with an external boundary of the circle at a contact point and such that each of the graphical elements protrudes from the contact point away from the circle in accordance with the determined display length.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the preferences of the user include flavor preferences and the categories include flavor categories. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the preferences of the user include texture preferences and the categories include texture categories. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the preferences of the user include flavor and texture preferences. 
     
     
         5 . A method of generating a visual representation of a profile, comprising:
 obtaining characteristic information representing characteristics of an element for each of a plurality of categories;   determining, using a microprocessor, a length of a plurality of graphical elements, each graphical element being assigned to one of the categories, based on the characteristic information corresponding to the respective category, wherein the length of each graphical element indicates the value for a category with respect to the other categories; and   disposing on a computer generated display screen the plurality of graphical elements each having a display length determined by the determining, the disposing positioning the plurality of graphical elements around a circle such that each of the graphical elements has a portion of an external boundary in contact with an external boundary of the circle at a contact point and such that each of the graphical elements protrudes from the contact point away from the circle in accordance with the determined display length.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the characteristic information includes flavor characteristic information, the categories include flavor categories, the element is a food product or recipe, and
 wherein the obtaining step further comprises obtaining flavor characteristic information representing flavor characteristics of a product or recipe for each of a plurality of flavor categories.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the characteristic information includes texture characteristic information, the categories includes texture categories, the element is a food product or recipe, and
 wherein the obtaining step further comprises obtaining texture characteristic information representing texture characteristics of a product or recipe for each of a plurality of texture categories.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the characteristic information includes flavor and texture characteristic information, the categories include flavor and texture categories, the element is a food product or recipe, and
 wherein the obtaining step further comprises obtaining texture and flavor characteristic information representing texture and flavor characteristics of a product or recipe for each of a plurality of texture categories.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the length of each graphical element indicates the relative value for a category with respect to the other categories. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the length of each graphical element indicates an absolute value for a category with respect to the other categories on a predetermined scale. 
     
     
         11 . A method of determining a profile for a user, comprising:
 obtaining food preference information provided by a user regarding a plurality of food elements;   obtaining correlation information regarding the plurality of food elements and a plurality of categories, the correlation information providing a correlation between preference for each food element and preference for each category;   determining, by a microprocessor and based on the food preference information and the correlation information, a relative user preference for each of the plurality of categories; and   generating output data for the user based on the result of the determining.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 obtaining demographic data regarding the user;   obtaining second correlation information regarding the demographic data and the plurality of categories, the second correlation information providing a correlation between the demographic data and preference for each category,   wherein the determining further comprises:   determining, by the microprocessor and based on the demographic data, food preference information, second correlation information and the correlation information, the relative user preference for each of the plurality of categories.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 obtaining additional food preference information provided by a user regarding food consumption context;   obtaining third correlation information regarding the additional food preference and the plurality of flavor categories, the third correlation information providing a correlation between the additional food preference information and preference for each category,   wherein the determining further comprises:   determining, by the microprocessor and based on the demographic data, the preference information, the additional preference information, the second correlation information, the third correlation information and the correlation information, the relative user preference for each of the plurality of categories.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the categories include flavor categories. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the categories include texture categories. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the categories include flavor and texture categories. 
     
     
         17 . A method of determining a profile for a food element, comprising:
 obtaining characteristic information including ingredient information for the food element;   obtaining correlation information regarding the ingredient information and a plurality of categories, the correlation information providing a correlation between ingredients included in the ingredient information and expected perception for each category;   determining, by a microprocessor and based on the characteristic information and the correlation information, a perception value for each of the plurality of categories for the food element; and   generating output data for the user based on the result of the determining.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 obtaining alteration information regarding the ingredient information based on the characteristic information, wherein   the determining further comprises determining, by the microprocessor and based on the characteristic information, the alteration information and the correlation information, the perception value for each of the plurality of categories for the food element.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the perception value is the relative or an absolute perception value on a predetermined scale. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the categories include flavor categories. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the categories include texture categories. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the categories include flavor and texture categories. 
     
     
         23 . A method of providing food element recommendations based on flavor, comprising:
 obtaining profile information of a user indicating a relative user preference for each of a plurality of categories;   performing a query of food elements based on constraint inputs, each food element having associated therewith profile information indicating the perception value for each of the plurality of categories for the food element;   comparing profile information of each of the food elements, returned by the query, against the profile information of the user to determine food elements having a greatest positive correlation;   generating a list of recommended food elements based on the result of the comparing; and   presenting the list of recommended food elements to the user.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the categories include flavor categories, the profile information of the user includes flavor profile information, and the profile information of each of the food elements includes flavor profile information. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the categories include texture categories, the profile information of the user includes texture profile information, and the profile information of each of the food elements includes texture profile information. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the perception value is a relative perception value or an absolute perception value on a predetermined scale. 
     
     
         27 . A method of providing food element recommendations based on flavor, comprising:
 obtaining profile information of a user indicating a relative user preference for each of a plurality of categories;   performing a query of food elements based on constraint inputs, each food element having associated therewith profile information indicating the perception value for each of the plurality categories for the food element, wherein the performance of the query further includes comparing profile information of each of the food elements against the profile information of the user provided as the constraint inputs;   generating a list of recommended food elements based on the result of the query; and   presenting the list of recommended food elements to the user.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the categories include flavor categories, the profile information of the user includes flavor profile information, and the profile information of each of the food elements includes flavor profile information. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the categories include texture categories, the profile information of the user includes texture profile information, and the profile information of each of the food elements includes texture profile information. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the perception value is a relative perception value or an absolute perception value on a predetermined scale.