# US 10,766,154 B2 · System and method for treating a part of a body > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,154 B2 - Document ID: US10766154B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/999,765 - Filed: 2017-02-09 - Published: 2019-11-07 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-09 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Inventors: Kin Fatt Phoon; Jacob Hendrik Botma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766154B2 ## CPC - B26B 19/388: {Sensors; Control} - B26B 19/20: with provision for shearing hair of preselected or variable length - G06T 7/13: Edge detection - G06T 7/50: Depth or shape recovery - G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) - G06V 40/10: Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands - G06T 7/90: Determination of colour characteristics - G06T 2207/10024: Color image - G06T 2207/10048: Infrared image - G06T 2207/30196: Human being; Person - B26B: HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOLS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (for harvesting A01D; for horticulture, for forestry A01G; for butchering or meat treatment A22; for manufactering or repairing footwear A43D; nail clippers or cutters A45D29/02; kitchen equipment A47J; {vegetable slicers, julienne cutters and similar devices and holders therefor, B26D3/28}; for surgical purposes A61B; for metal B23D; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; plier-like tools with cutting edges B25B7/22; pincers B25C11/02; handles for hand implements, in general B25G; guillotine-type cutters B26D; {perforating by non-mechanical means, e.g. by fluid jet, B26F1/26}; for erasing B43L19/00; for textile materials D06H) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A treating system includes a controller and a treating device having a treating unit for treating a part of a body of a subject. An imaging arrangement is configured to obtain image data. The controller is configured to analyze the image data to identify a boundary between the part of the body of the subject and the environment around the part of the body; and determine the position of the treating device relative to the part of the body of the subject based on a position of the boundary in the image data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A treating system for cutting hair, comprising: a controller; and a treating device defining a hair cutting device, comprising: a treating unit defining a cutting unit for treating a part of a body of a subject; and an imaging arrangement that is configured to obtain image data; wherein the controller is configured to: analyze the image data to identify a boundary between the part of the body of the subject and a surrounding environment around the part of the body, and determine a device position of the treating device relative to the part of the body of the subject based on a boundary position of the boundary in the image data including based on a distance of the boundary from an edge of an image derived from the image data, wherein the controller is configured to determine a height of the treating device on the part of the body based on the distance of the boundary from an upper or a lower edge of the image derived from the image data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The treating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the imaging arrangement comprises a temperature, thermal or infra-red sensor or sensor array, and wherein the controller is configured to identify the boundary based on a difference between heat emitted by the subject relative to heat emitted by the surrounding environment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The treating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the imaging arrangement comprises a visible light sensor or sensor array, and wherein the controller is configured to identify the boundary based on a difference between the color and/or shape of the part of the body relative to the color and/or shape of the surrounding environment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The treating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the part of the body of the subject is a head of the subject. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The treating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the imaging arrangement comprises one or more range sensors that are configured to measure distances from the imaging arrangement to a nearest object in predefined directions from the imaging arrangement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The treating system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to identify the boundary based on which of the measured distances exceed a threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The treating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the imaging arrangement comprises one or more proximity sensors that are configured to detect whether there is an object within a threshold distance to the imaging arrangement in one or more predefined directions from the imaging arrangement. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The treating system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to identify the boundary based on which of the one or more predefined directions an object is detected within the threshold distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The treating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: determine a treating action for the part of the body of the subject at the determined device position of the treating device; and output a control signal to the treating unit to configure the treating unit to perform the determined treating action. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The treating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: determine whether a treating action is required for the part of the body of the subject at the determined device position of the treating device; and output a control signal to the treating unit to activate or deactivate the treating unit according to whether a treating action is required. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The treating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the treating system is a hair cutting system for cutting the hair and a hair cutting length of the cutting unit is configurable based on a control signal from the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to: determine a hair length for the hair of the subject at the determined device position of the hair cutting device; and output a control signal to the cutting unit to configure the cutting unit to cut the hair to the determined hair length. ### Claim 12 A treating system, comprising: a controller; and a treating device, the treating device comprising: a treating unit for treating a part of a body of a subject; and an imaging arrangement that is configured to obtain image data; wherein the controller is configured to: analyze the image data to identify a boundary between the part of the body of the subject and a surrounding environment around the part of the body; and determine a device position of the treating device relative to the part of the body of the subject based on a boundary position of the boundary in the image data, wherein the part of the body of the subject is a head of the subject, and wherein the controller is configured to identify an ear of the subject in the image data and (i) determine a height of the treating device on the head based on a distance of the boundary from an upper or a lower edge of an image derived from the image data and an ear position of the ear in the image; and/or (ii) determine whether the treating device is on a side or a back of the head based on the ear position of the ear in the image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The treating system of claim 12, wherein the imaging arrangement comprises a temperature, thermal or infra-red sensor or sensor array, and wherein the controller is configured to identify the boundary based on a difference between heat emitted by the subject relative to heat emitted by the surrounding environment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The treating system of claim 12, wherein the imaging arrangement comprises a visible light sensor or sensor array, and wherein the controller is configured to identify the boundary based on a difference between the color and/or shape of the part of the body relative to the color and/or shape of the surrounding environment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The treating system of claim 12, wherein the imaging arrangement comprises one or more range sensors that are configured to measure a distance from the imaging arrangement to a nearest object in one or more predefined directions from the imaging arrangement. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The treating system of claim 12, wherein the imaging arrangement comprises one or more proximity sensors that are configured to detect whether there is an object within a threshold distance to the imaging arrangement in one or more predefined directions from the imaging arrangement. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The treating system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to identify the boundary based on which of the one or more predefined directions an object is detected within the threshold distance. ### Claim 18 A method of determining a device position of a hair cutting device of a hair cutting system, the hair cutting device comprising a trimmer for trimming hair of a part of a body of a subject; the method comprising acts of: obtaining image data using an imaging arrangement; deriving an edge of an image from the image data; analyzing the image data to identify a boundary between the part of the body of the subject and an environment around the part of the body; and determining the device position of the hair cutting device relative to the part of the body of the subject based on a position of the boundary in the image data including based on a distance of the boundary from the edge of the image, wherein the method further comprises an act of determining a height of the hair cutting device on the part of the body of the subject based on the distance of the boundary from an upper or a lower edge of the image. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code being configured such that, on execution by a processor, the processor is caused to perform the method of claim 18.