Analytics-based design and planning of creative menus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015324938-A1
Application number	US-201514747325-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2013
Publication date	Nov 12, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for analytics-based design and planning of creative menus. A method for designing and planning a menu, wherein the menu comprises at least one dish comprising a set of ingredients prepared according to a recipe includes obtaining a user-specified ingredient that must be included in the menu, obtaining a user-specified criterion that must be satisfied by the menu, automatically formulating an optimization problem that evaluates a plurality of potential dishes for inclusion in the menu by optimizing over the user-specified criterion, and automatically selecting the at least one dish from among the plurality of potential dishes, wherein the automatically selecting is performed based at least in part on a solution to the optimization problem, and wherein the at least one dish includes the user-specified ingredient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for designing and planning a menu, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of dishes, and each dish in the plurality of dishes comprises a set of ingredients prepared according to a recipe, the device comprising:
a processor; and a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
obtaining a user-specified ingredient that must be included in the menu;
obtaining a user-specified criterion that must be satisfied by the menu;
automatically formulating an optimization problem that evaluates a plurality of potential dishes for inclusion in the menu by optimizing over the user-specified criterion; and
automatically selecting the plurality of dishes from among the plurality of potential dishes, wherein the automatically selecting is performed based at least in part on a solution to the optimization problem, and wherein at least one dish in the plurality of dishes includes the user-specified ingredient.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the user-specified criterion is a type of cuisine that must be included in the menu.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the user-specified criterion is an attribute that must be maximized in the menu.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the attribute is novelty of the menu.

5 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the attribute is variety of the menu.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of potential dishes includes dishes that satisfy the user-specified criterion and contain the user-specified ingredient.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the optimization problem comprises a weighted linear function of scores including a score for the user-specified criterion.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the optimization problem additionally attempts to satisfy a constraint on the menu.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the constraint is user-specified.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the constraint relates to a nutritional requirement of the menu.

11 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the constraint is an availability of a resource required to prepare the menu.

12 . The device of claim 7 , wherein at least the score for the user-specified criterion is generated in accordance with an assessment model.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the assessment model is built using data from a plurality of recipes.

14 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the assessment model is built using data from a plurality of expert opinions relating at least to the user-specified criterion.

15 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the assessment model is built using data from a plurality of interviews relating at least to resource and facility availability.

16 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
automatically designing, by the processor, a work plan, wherein the work plan specifies a schedule of tasks for preparation of the menu.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the work plan accounts for resources and facilities available for use in the preparation of the menu.

18 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the work plan accounts for a time constraint on the preparation of the menu.

19 . A system for designing and planning a menu, wherein the menu comprises a plurality of dishes, and each dish in the plurality of dishes comprises a set of ingredients prepared according to a recipe, the system comprising:
a database storing recipes for a plurality of potential dishes; and an application server for automatically selecting the plurality of dishes from among the plurality of potential dishes, wherein the automatically selecting is performed by automatically evaluating the plurality of dishes by optimizing over a user-specified criterion, wherein the plurality of dishes includes at least one dish that includes a user-specified ingredient.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the application server is further configured for automatically designing a work plan, wherein the work plan specifies a schedule of tasks for preparation of the menu.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bhattacharjya Debarun
• Pinel Florian
• Varshney Lav R

Classifications

• G06Q10/0637 Primary

  Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals · CPC title

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• G06F16/24578

  using ranking · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• G06Q10/063

  Operations research, analysis or management · CPC title