Eating utensil to monitor and regulate dietary intake

Abstract

Dietary intake regulating devices that can assist a user in measuring his or her dietary intake and optionally his or her physical activity are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for promoting human health, the method comprising:
 performing the following steps by at least one processor;   establishing a communication link between the processor, a physical activity monitoring device monitoring physical activity of a user, and an action device used by the user, wherein the processor controls ability of the user to access functionality of the action device selected from the group consisting of one or more of: (1) playing a videogame, (2) watching a video display of the action device, and (3) watching television;   receiving health-related information of the user from the physical activity monitoring device;   receiving one or more thresholds associated with health-related goals of the user, wherein the type of the health-related information and the type of the one or more thresholds are selected from the group consisting of one or more of: (1) type of activity, (2) timing of activity, (3) quality of activity, (4) quantity of activity, (5) location of activity, (6) duration of activity, (7) number of steps, (8) number of stairs the user takes, (9) calories, (10) distance, (11) energy intake, (12) energy expenditure, and (13) energy balance;   receiving action-related information from the action device, wherein the action-related information comprises information of functionality of the action device utilized by the user, and implementing a feedback loop comprising: (a) continuously monitoring the received action-related information of the action device, (b) comparing the health-related information with at least one of the corresponding one or more thresholds, and (c) determining whether at least one of the one or more thresholds is met, and (d) based on the determination that at least one of the one or more thresholds is met, sending at least one computer-executable instruction to the action device to allow or remove access to the functionality of the action device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises establishing a communication link between a sleep monitoring device monitoring the user and the action device; receiving second health-related information corresponding to the user from the sleep monitoring device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises sending, based on the comparison results, a notification to the user related to at least one of (1) the one or more health-related goals, (2) the health-related information and (3) the action-related information. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action device is a television or comprises a video display. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action is watching a video display or television, and wherein allowing or removing access to a functionality of the action device controls one or more of: duration of the action, what type of video display output can be watched by the user, and what type of television output can be watched by the user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action device is a video game console. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action is playing videogame, and wherein allowing or removing access to a functionality of the action device controls one or more of: (1) duration of the action, and (2) what type of videogame can be played by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the action-related information is selected from the group consisting of one or more of: (1) an on-off status of the action device, (2) a duration of the use of the functionality, (3) a type of video game displayed or implemented by the action device, (4) a type of video display output displayed or implemented by the action device, and (5) a type of television program displayed or implemented by the action device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of: (1) the health-related information and (2) the action-related information includes information that is obtained from one or more cameras. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of: (1) the health-related information and (2) the action-related information includes information obtained from monitoring the user's brain waves. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of: (1) the health-related information, (2) the action-related information and (3) the computer-executable instruction is sent or received through at least one wireless communication link. 
     
     
         12 . A computer system for encouraging healthy living, the system comprising:
 a health information receiving component configured to receive health-related information corresponding to one or more users from one or more physical activity monitoring devices corresponding to each user, wherein the type of the health-related information is selected from the group consisting of one or more of (1) type of activity, (2) timing of activity, (3) quality of activity, (4) quantity of activity, (5) location of activity, (6) duration of activity, (7) number of steps, (8) number of stairs the user takes, (9) calories, (10) distance, (11) energy intake, (12) energy expenditure, and (13) energy balance;   a health data store configured to store health-related information about the one or more users;   a goal management component configured to receive and track one or more thresholds corresponding to health-related goals of each user and process the received health-related information to determine whether the one or more thresholds is met;   an activity request component configured to receive action-related information from one or more action devices corresponding to each user, the activity request component controlling ability of the user to access functionality of the action device, wherein the functionality is selected from the group consisting of one or more of: shopping, playing video game, watching video display, and watching television, wherein the action-related information is selected from the group consisting of one or more of: (1) an on-off status of the action device, (2) a duration of the use of the functionality, (3) a type of video game displayed or implemented by the action device, (4) a type of video display output displayed or implemented by the action device, and (5) a type of television program displayed or implemented by the action device;   a health action component configured to take actions to promote user's progress towards the user's health-related goals by implementing a feedback loop comprising: (i) continuously monitoring the received action-related information of the action device, (ii) comparing the health-related information with at least one of the one or more thresholds, and (iii) determining whether at least one of the one or more thresholds is met, and (iv) based on the determination that at least one of the one or more thresholds is met, sending at least one computer-executable instruction to the action device to allow or remove access to the functionality of the action device to control at least one of: duration of the action, what can be purchased by the user, what type of videogame can be played by the user, what type of video display output can be watched by the user, or what type of television program can be watched by the user; and   a processor and memory configured to execute software instructions, wherein the software instructions implement the health information receiving component, the health data store, the goal management component, the activity request component and the health action component.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the health information receiving component is further configured to receive second health-related information corresponding to one or more users from one or more sleep monitoring devices 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the one or more physical activity monitoring devices is also a sleep monitoring device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the system is further configured to manage user groups and provide access level controls. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-implemented method for promoting human health, the method comprising:
 performing the following steps by at least one processor;   establishing a communication link between the processor, a physical activity monitoring device monitoring a user and an action device used by the user, wherein the processor controls ability of the user to access functionality of the action device selected from the group consisting of one or more of (1) eating, (2) shopping, (3) playing video game, (4) watching a video display of the action device and (5) watching television;   receiving health-related information of the user from the physical activity monitoring device, wherein the health-related information is at least based on data monitored by the physical activity monitoring device, and wherein the type of the health-related information is selected from the group consisting of one or more of: (1) type of activity, (2) timing of activity, (3) quality of activity, (4) quantity of activity, (5) location of activity, (6) duration of activity, (7) number of steps, (8) number of stairs the user takes, (9) calories, (10) distance, (11) energy intake, (12) energy expenditure, and (13) energy balance;   receiving one or more thresholds associated with health-related goals of the user, wherein the type of the health-related information and the type of the one or more thresholds correspond to one another;   receiving action-related information from the action device, wherein the action-related information comprises information of functionality of the action device utilized by the user; and   implementing a feedback loop comprising: (i) continuously monitoring the received action-related information of the action device, (ii) comparing the health-related information with at least one of the corresponding one or more thresholds, (iii) determining whether at least one of the one or more thresholds is met, and (iv) based on the determination that at least one of the one or more thresholds is met, sending at least one computer-executable instruction to the action device to allow or remove access to the functionality of the action device to control at least one of: duration of the action, what can be purchased by the user, what can be eaten by the user, what type of videogame can be played by the user, what type of video display output can be watched by the user, or what type of television output can be watched by the user.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the physical activity monitoring device is also a sleep monitoring device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising authenticating or identifying the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the type of the health-related information and the type of the one or more thresholds are selected from the group consisting of one or more of: (1) type of activity, (2) timing of activity, (3) quality of activity, (4) quantity of activity, (5) location of activity, (6) duration of activity, (7) number of steps, (8) number of stairs the user takes, (9) calories, (10) distance, (11) energy intake, (12) energy expenditure, and (13) energy balance. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein one or more of: (1) the health-related information, (2) the action-related information and (3) the computer-executable instruction is sent or received through at least one wireless communication link.