System and Method for Creating a Personalized Consumer Product

Abstract

A system and method for creating a personalized consumer product are provided. The system and method of the present disclosure enables a user, e.g., a consumer, to customize products containing solids and/or fluids by allowing a server communicating over the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, to provide product preferences of a user to a product or a mixing device, e.g., a product or beverage dispenser. The method for creating a product according to a user's preferences over a network includes the steps identifying a product to a server over the network; identifying a user to the server over the network; retrieving the user's product preferences from a database at the server based on the product's identity and user's identity; transmitting the user's product preferences to the product over the network; and mixing at least one element contained within the product based on the user's product preferences.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for customizing a product according to a user's preferences, the method comprising the steps:
 identifying a product to a server over a network;   identifying a user to the server over the network;   retrieving the user's product preferences from a database associated with the server based on the product's identity and user's identity; and   transmitting the user's product preferences from the server to a communication module over the network for formulating at least one element contained within the product based on the user's product preferences.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the identifying a product step includes reading a barcode from the product. 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the identifying a product step includes manually entering a product code into a computer, the computer being coupled to the network. 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the communication module is a wireless communication module, the method further comprising receiving the product identity wirelessly from the product. 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the identifying a user step includes receiving an Internet cookie from a computer of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 1 , further comprising the step prompting the user with questions to determine the user's product preferences. 
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 6 , further comprising issuing an identity code for the user and cross-referencing the identity code to the user's product preferences. 
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one element is a fluid, a solid or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A system for customizing a product according to a user's preferences comprising:
 a remote server including a database configured to store a product preference of a predetermined product for at least one user; and   a first communication module in communication with the remote server;   wherein the remote server is configured to receive the identity of the predetermined product and the identity of the at least one user, retrieve the product preference from the database based on the identity of the predetermined product and the identity of the least one user and transmit the product preference to the first communication module.   
     
     
         10 . The system as in  claim 9 , wherein the transmitted product preference is a formulation including a predetermined amount of at least one element. 
     
     
         11 . The system as in  claim 10 , wherein the at least one element is a fluid, a solid or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The system as in  claim 10 , wherein the server is configured to communicate at least one question to a terminal of the at least one user for prompting the user with the at least one question relating to the predetermined product and the server is further configured for determining the formulation based on at least one response of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The system as in  claim 12 , wherein the server is further configured for issuing an identity code for the user and cross-referencing the identity code to the formulation. 
     
     
         14 . The system as in  claim 13 , wherein the server is configured for storing the identity code and cross-referenced formulation in the database. 
     
     
         15 . The system as in  claim 14 , wherein the terminal is configured to transmit the identity code to the server. 
     
     
         16 . The system as in  claim 15 , wherein the identity code is stored as an Internet cookie on the terminal. 
     
     
         17 . A product to be consumed by a user comprising:
 a housing;   a controller configured to control an amount of the at least element disposed within the housing;   a communication module configured to transmit an identifier of the product to a server over a network, receive product preferences of the user from the server based on the identifier and communicate to the controller the received product preferences of the user for formulating a final product; and   an exit port disposed on the housing for dispensing the final product.   
     
     
         18 . The product as in  claim 17 , wherein the final product is a toothpaste, a shampoo, a conditioner, a beverage or a soap. 
     
     
         19 . The product as in  claim 17 , wherein the at least one element is a fluid, a solid or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The product as in  claim 17 , wherein the communication module is configured to receive the product preferences of the user via hardwired or wireless communications from the server over the network.