DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1, and 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to systems and methods for generating a cooking style decision recipe without significantly more. The independent claim(s) 1 and 11 recite(s) an abstract idea which could be implemented by a person writing down a personal recipe by taking into consideration a cooking style, a nutrient anomaly in their own health profile (such as need for low sugar content) selecting ingredients which meet certain criteria (such as lower calories) generating a personal recipe taking into account ingredient information, selecting a cooking style for making the recipe and generating a recipe by writing it down. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because all of the steps can be practiced mentally by a person cooking a recipe and writing down how to complete it.. The claim(s) does include additional elements (i.e. a computing device) that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because each element in the claim can be performed as a mental step for example identifying a nutrient anomaly can be done mentally by someone with a particular health condition such as diabetes, generating a recipe using the nutrient anomaly ( using low sugar ingredients), generating a recipe relating to the user, filtering ingredient identifiers (choosing low sugar ingredients); generating a personal recipe (writing the recipe down including ingredients); selecting a cooking style (person decides how to cook the ingredients boiled, sauteed etc.); locating in a recipe database a cooking style table (consulting a cook book); selecting which style to use (sautéing) ; generating a recipe depiction (writing down the recipe to follow later) .
With regards to claims 3 and 13, the method includes classifying the personal recipe into one or more meal categories is analogous to a person deciding if its lunch, dinner or breakfast recipe.
With regards to claims 4 and 14 classifying the recipe into a cuisine category, is analogous to a person deciding if its Asian or Latin American food they’re preparing.
With regards to claims 5 and 15 selecting a user style based on a user preference is akin to a user selecting how to cook based on what’s easiest for them.
With regards to claims 6 and 16 which relates to selecting a cooking style based on a temporal component, is akin to a user choosing to microwave an ingredient to save time.
With regard to claims 7 and 17 which relates to a lexicon of ingredients a person could look at a glossary of ingredients in a cookbook.
With regards to claims 8 and 18 which relate to ingredient identifiers, impacts and semantic units its describing any database with different elements.
With regards to claims 9 and 19 which relate to an accessibility score, a person can determine whether or not they have a certain ingredient.
With regards to claims 10 and 20 with regards to filtering the ingredients a person can compare an ingredient to a list and score it.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Christ U.S. PAP 2021/0050088 A1 in view of Crosby U.S. PAP 2009/0287644 A1.
Regarding claim 1 Christ teaches a system for informing cooking style decisions, the system comprising a computing device (Methods and systems for generating patient-based dietary plan recommendations , see abstract), the computing device designed and configured to:
identify a nutrient anomaly relating to a user (identifying user information for a user. The user information may indicate a symptom affecting the user. The symptom may be used to identify a dietary requirement, see abstract);
determine a target profile utilizing the nutrient anomaly (identifying a recipe requirement based on the dietary requirement, see par. [0002]);
generate a personal recipe relating to the user (presenting a recipe recommendation to the user based on the recipe requirement, see par. [0002]), wherein generating the personal recipe comprises:
selecting a plurality of ingredient identifiers as a function of the target profile, wherein each ingredient identifier is associated with an ingredient impact and an ingredient accessibility (extracting an ingredients list and an associated tag from the initial recipe, and generating nutrition information, see par. [0006]);
filtering the plurality of ingredient identifiers as a function of the ingredient accessibilities (the recipe requirement identifies one or more excluded ingredients, included ingredients, excluded ingredient types, included ingredient types, and/or nutritional requirements to comply with the dietary requirement, see par. [0010]);
and generating the personal recipe using a plurality of ingredient impacts associated with the filtered plurality of ingredient identifiers (user recommendation system may be further configured to identify, within the recipe requirements table, a recipe requirement based on the dietary requirement and presenting a recipe recommendation to the user based on the recipe requirement, see par. [0012]).
However Christ does not teach select a cooking style, wherein selecting the cooking style comprises: locating, in a recipe database, a cooking style table comprising a set of cooking styles associated with the personal recipe; and selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of the target profile; and generate a recipe depiction as a function of the cooking style and the personal recipe.
In the same field of endeavor Crosby teaches an apparatus, method and data structure for providing information related to the preparation of food and beverages. The invention searches available food and beverage information databases based upon search criteria defined by a user. The search criteria may include medical dietary preferences, ingredient and geographic preferences, and the like, see abstract.
Crosby teaches select a cooking style (there is a need for a system that provides interactive choices regarding particular types and styles of food preparation in accordance with a user's choices, medical and/or dietary requirements, or a set of particular ingredients that a user has as a starting point for recipe choices, see par. [0010]), wherein selecting the cooking style comprises:
locating, in a recipe database, a cooking style table comprising a set of cooking styles associated with the personal recipe (provide an interactive recipe and cooking information system that provides a user with the ability to choose recipes based upon cultural and/or geographic food and beverage styles and tastes, see par. [0016]);
and selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of the target profile (dietary preferences 216 are well known in the art, and include numerous ingredient, style, and cooking method instructions, see par. [0046]);
and generate a recipe depiction as a function of the cooking style and the personal recipe (As shown in FIG. 1, from the Choose Meal Process menu 116, a user may select from choose recipe 117, which allows the user to search the recipe database without specifying particular limiting ingredients, or enter existing ingredients 118, which allows the user to search the recipe database for recipes that require or include particular ingredients, see par. [0048]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the Christ invention with the teachings of Crosby for the benefit of providing interactive choices regarding particular types and styles of food preparation in accordance with a user's choices, medical and/or dietary requirements, or a set of particular ingredients that a user has as a starting point for recipe choices, see par. [0010].
Regarding claim 2 Crosby teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the recipe depiction comprises an instructional video describing a preparation of the personal recipe in the selected cooking style (provides a user with the opportunity to personalize the interface and feedback, such as by choosing voice or audio feedback, or both. As the information provided may also comprise video information, the device may utilize both visual and audio simultaneously, see par. [0027]).
Regarding claim 3 Christ teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to classify the personal recipe and the cooking style to one or more meal categories (the Food Category Y row may represent a template recipe requirement that may be populated with rule-based recipe requirements similar to the depicted hard food and low calorie food recipe requirements, see par. [0032]).
Regarding claim 4 Crosby teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to classify the personal recipe and the cooking style to one or more cuisine categories (The dislikes/allergies preferentially also allows the user to define medically--or other related dietary restrictions, food preferences based upon cultural cuisine preferences, see par. [0036]).
Regarding claim 5 Crosby teaches the system of claim 1, wherein selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles comprises selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of a user preference (The dislikes/allergies preferentially also allows the user to define medically--or other related dietary restrictions, food preferences based upon cultural cuisine preferences, geographic cuisine preferences, and taste preferences, as well as preferences related to such dietary choices as low-carbohydrate food combinations, etc., see par. [0036]).
Regarding claim 6 Crosby teaches the system of claim 1, wherein selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles comprises selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of a temporal component (Once the user has selected a desired time interval, the user is prompted to start cooking process 329, which will prompt the system to begin displaying the appropriate preparation and cooking information based upon the selected time intervals., see par. [0053]).
Regarding claim 7 Christ teaches the system of claim 1, wherein selecting the plurality of ingredient identifiers comprises locating the plurality of ingredient identifiers within a lexicon of ingredients ( In certain implementations, the ingredients lists 166, 176 may be stored as tags (e.g., tags 171, 179) identifying one or more of the ingredients included in the recipes 164, 174. In still further implementations, the tags 171, 179 corresponding to the ingredients lists 166, 176 may provide additional information (e.g., ingredient categories, or food attributes associated with the ingredients of the ingredients lists, see par. [0035]).
Regarding claim 8 Christ teaches the system of claim 7, wherein the lexicon of ingredients comprises associations between ingredient identifiers, ingredient impacts, and semantic units for each ingredient identifier of the plurality of ingredient identifiers (the tags 172, 180 may include one or more of Vegetarian, High Protein, Low Carb, Gluten Free, High Calorie, Low Calorie, Hard Food, and Soft Food, along with indications of recipe requirements 118 with which the recipes 164, 174 comply (e.g., certain food restrictions or inclusions), see par. [0035]).
Regarding claim 9 Crosby teaches the system of claim 1, wherein filtering the plurality of ingredient identifiers comprises generating an accessibility score for each ingredient identifier of the plurality of ingredient identifiers (a second choose meal process is shown wherein, at start 401, the user may select to enter existing ingredients 402. Those existing ingredients 402 may correspond to a particular desired selection of ingredients, or may correspond to those ingredients that the user has available, see par. [0054]).
Regarding claim 10 Crosby teaches the system of claim 9, wherein filtering the plurality of ingredient identifiers further comprises:
comparing, for each ingredient identifier of the plurality of ingredient identifiers, the accessibility scores to a threshold (This function allows the user to tailor the database search and results to those ingredients that are available, see par. [0054]);
and filtering the plurality of ingredient identifiers as a function of the comparison (narrowing the results only to those recipes that the user can apply at the time, see par. [0054]).
Regarding claim 11 Christ teaches a method for informing cooking style decisions (Methods and systems for generating patient-based dietary plan recommendations , see abstract), wherein the method comprises:
identifying, using at least a computing device, a nutrient anomaly relating to a user (identifying user information for a user. The user information may indicate a symptom affecting the user. The symptom may be used to identify a dietary requirement, see abstract);
determining, using the at least a computing device, a target profile utilizing the nutrient anomaly (identifying a recipe requirement based on the dietary requirement, see par. [0002]);
generating, using the at least a computing device, a personal recipe relating to the user (presenting a recipe recommendation to the user based on the recipe requirement, see par. [0002]), wherein generating the personal recipe comprises:
selecting a plurality of ingredient identifiers as a function of the target profile, wherein each ingredient identifier is associated with an ingredient impact and an ingredient accessibility (extracting an ingredients list and an associated tag from the initial recipe, and generating nutrition information, see par. [0006]);
filtering the plurality of ingredient identifiers as a function of the ingredient accessibilities (the recipe requirement identifies one or more excluded ingredients, included ingredients, excluded ingredient types, included ingredient types, and/or nutritional requirements to comply with the dietary requirement, see par. [0010]);
and generating the personal recipe using a plurality of ingredient impacts associated with the filtered plurality of ingredient identifiers (user recommendation system may be further configured to identify, within the recipe requirements table, a recipe requirement based on the dietary requirement and presenting a recipe recommendation to the user based on the recipe requirement, see par. [0012]).
However Christ does not teach selecting a cooking style, wherein selecting the cooking style comprises: locating, in a recipe database, a cooking style table comprising a set of cooking styles associated with the personal recipe; and selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of the target profile; and generate a recipe depiction as a function of the cooking style and the personal recipe.
In the same field of endeavor Crosby teaches an apparatus, method and data structure for providing information related to the preparation of food and beverages. The invention searches available food and beverage information databases based upon search criteria defined by a user. The search criteria may include medical dietary preferences, ingredient and geographic preferences, and the like, see abstract.
Crosby teaches select a cooking style (there is a need for a system that provides interactive choices regarding particular types and styles of food preparation in accordance with a user's choices, medical and/or dietary requirements, or a set of particular ingredients that a user has as a starting point for recipe choices, see par. [0010]), wherein selecting the cooking style comprises:
locating, in a recipe database, a cooking style table comprising a set of cooking styles associated with the personal recipe (provide an interactive recipe and cooking information system that provides a user with the ability to choose recipes based upon cultural and/or geographic food and beverage styles and tastes, see par. [0016]);
and selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of the target profile (dietary preferences 216 are well known in the art, and include numerous ingredient, style, and cooking method instructions, see par. [0046]);
and generate a recipe depiction as a function of the cooking style and the personal recipe (As shown in FIG. 1, from the Choose Meal Process menu 116, a user may select from choose recipe 117, which allows the user to search the recipe database without specifying particular limiting ingredients, or enter existing ingredients 118, which allows the user to search the recipe database for recipes that require or include particular ingredients, see par. [0048]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the Christ invention with the teachings of Crosby for the benefit of providing interactive choices regarding particular types and styles of food preparation in accordance with a user's choices, medical and/or dietary requirements, or a set of particular ingredients that a user has as a starting point for recipe choices, see par. [0010].
Regarding claim 12 Crosby teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the recipe depiction comprises an instructional video describing a preparation of the personal recipe in the selected cooking style (provides a user with the opportunity to personalize the interface and feedback, such as by choosing voice or audio feedback, or both. As the information provided may also comprise video information, the device may utilize both visual and audio simultaneously, see par. [0027])..
Regarding claim 13 Christ teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises classifying, using the at least a computing device, the personal recipe and the cooking style to one or more meal categories (the Food Category Y row may represent a template recipe requirement that may be populated with rule-based recipe requirements similar to the depicted hard food and low calorie food recipe requirements, see par. [0032]).
Regarding claim 14 Crosby teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises classifying, using the at least a computing device, the personal recipe and the cooking style to one or more cuisine categories (The dislikes/allergies preferentially also allows the user to define medically--or other related dietary restrictions, food preferences based upon cultural cuisine preferences, see par. [0036]).
Regarding claim 15 Crosby teaches the method of claim 11, wherein selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles comprises selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of a user preference (The dislikes/allergies preferentially also allows the user to define medically--or other related dietary restrictions, food preferences based upon cultural cuisine preferences, geographic cuisine preferences, and taste preferences, as well as preferences related to such dietary choices as low-carbohydrate food combinations, etc., see par. [0036]).
Regarding claim 16 Crosby teaches the method of claim 11, wherein selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles comprises selecting the cooking style from the set of cooking styles as a function of a temporal component (Once the user has selected a desired time interval, the user is prompted to start cooking process 329, which will prompt the system to begin displaying the appropriate preparation and cooking information based upon the selected time intervals., see par. [0053]).
Regarding claim 17 Crosby teaches the method of claim 11, wherein selecting the plurality of ingredient identifiers comprises locating the plurality of ingredient identifiers within a lexicon of ingredients ( In certain implementations, the ingredients lists 166, 176 may be stored as tags (e.g., tags 171, 179) identifying one or more of the ingredients included in the recipes 164, 174. In still further implementations, the tags 171, 179 corresponding to the ingredients lists 166, 176 may provide additional information e.g., ingredient categories, or food attributes associated with the ingredients of the ingredients lists, see par. [0035]).
Regarding claim 18 Christ teaches the method of claim 17, wherein the lexicon of ingredients comprises associations between ingredient identifiers, ingredient impacts, and a semantic units for each ingredient identifier of the plurality of ingredient identifiers (the tags 172, 180 may include one or more of Vegetarian, High Protein, Low Carb, Gluten Free, High Calorie, Low Calorie, Hard Food, and Soft Food, along with indications of recipe requirements 118 with which the recipes 164, 174 comply (e.g., certain food restrictions or inclusions), see par. [0035])..
Regarding claim 19 Crosby teaches the method of claim 11, wherein filtering the plurality of ingredient identifiers comprises generating an accessibility score for each ingredient identifier of the plurality of ingredient identifiers (a second choose meal process is shown wherein, at start 401, the user may select to enter existing ingredients 402. Those existing ingredients 402 may correspond to a particular desired selection of ingredients, or may correspond to those ingredients that the user has available, see par. [0054])..
Regarding claim 20 Crosby teaches the method of claim 19, wherein filtering the plurality of ingredient identifiers further comprises: comparing, for each ingredient identifier of the plurality of ingredient identifiers, the accessibility scores to a threshold (This function allows the user to tailor the database search and results to those ingredients that are available, see par. [0054]);
and filtering the plurality of ingredient identifiers as a function of the comparison (narrowing the results only to those recipes that the user can apply at the time, see par. [0054]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hamilton ‘233 teaches Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for providing personalized wellness recommendations, see abstract.
Hite ‘897 teaches a cooking engagement system and methods for providing recipe content to a user are provided, see abstract.
Hu ‘500 teaches user's household's health information and other information such as food preferences, habits and religion, as a baseline for health analysis and recommendation, see abstract.
Hadad ‘440 teaches methods and systems for providing personalized food and health management recommendations, see abstract.
Gschwind ‘487 teaches dynamically adapting the recipe based on the at least one characteristic of the user, see abstract.
Ross ‘620 teaches a system and method for the creation of recipes and menus using information about their constituent ingredients' information, see par. [0002].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Ortiz-Sanchez whose telephone number is (571)270-3711. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 9AM-6PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bhavesh Mehta can be reached at 571-272-7453. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL ORTIZ-SANCHEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2656
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