# US 12,178,978 B2 · Device and method for application of cosmetic compositions through a grated end effector

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- Number: US 12,178,978 B2
- Document ID: US12178978B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/947,724
- Filed: 2020-08-13
- Published: 2021-02-18
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-08-16
- Assignees: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.
- Applicants: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.
- Inventors: Curt Binner; Benjamin Serbiak
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178978B2

## CPC

- A61M 35/003: {Portable hand-held applicators having means for dispensing or spreading integral media (hand-held massage devices with liquid delivery A61H7/003)}
- A61B 5/0077: {Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens}
- A61M 35/00: Devices for applying media, e.g. remedies, on the human body (devices for handling toiletry or cosmetic substances A45D; absorbent pads, e.g. swabs, A61F13/15)
- B41J 3/36: for portability {, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers (B41J3/4075 takes precedence)}
- B41J 3/4073: {Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112)}
- B41J 29/393: Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns}
- A45D 2044/007: {Devices for determining the condition of hair or skin or for selecting the appropriate cosmetic or hair treatment}
- A61B 5/442: {Evaluating skin mechanical properties, e.g. elasticity, hardness, texture, wrinkle assessment}
- A61B 2090/309: {using white LEDs}
- A61M 2205/52: with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
- A61M 2205/8206: battery-operated
- A61M 2210/04: Skin
- B41J 2203/01: Inspecting a printed medium or a medium to be printed using a sensing device
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- A45D: HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT (wigs, toupees or the like A41G3/00, A41G5/00; hairdressers' chairs A47C1/04; hair cutting appliances, razors B26B); EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING

## Abstract

A device for applying a composition to a skin of a face includes an end effector having a base portion and a protruding portion extending distally from the base portion. The protruding portion has a distal opening. The device also includes a detector arrangement obtaining image data corresponding to an image of an area of the skin through the distal opening and an applicator arrangement applying the composition to a location within the area. The device further includes a processing arrangement receiving and analyzing the image data to determine whether the applicator is aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area and whether a frexel within the area corresponds to a skin artifact, and directing the applicator to selectively apply the composition to the frexel when the applicator is aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area and the skin artifact is detected from the frexel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A handheld device for applying a composition to a skin of a face of user, comprising:
an end effector comprising a base portion and a protruding portion extending distally from the base portion, the protruding portion having a distal opening and further comprises a plurality of grating bars extending across the distal opening;
a detector arrangement configured to obtain image data corresponding to an image of an area of the skin through the distal opening of the end effector, wherein the image data corresponds to an image of the area of skin overlaid with the plurality of grating bars;
an applicator arrangement configured to apply the composition to a location within the area of the skin; and
a processing arrangement configured to
receive the image data from the detector arrangement,
analyze the image data to determine whether the applicator arrangement is aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area of skin and whether a frexel within the area of skin corresponds to a skin artifact, wherein the processing arrangement determines the applicator arrangement to be aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area of skin when the image data corresponds to a region on the face of the user located at least a predetermined distance away from at least one of eyes, nostrils and mouth of the face of the user, and
direct the applicator arrangement to withhold from application of the composition to the skin when the applicator arrangement is not safely aimed to dispense the composition to the area of skin.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the processing arrangement analyzes the image data to determine a tilt of the device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the processing arrangement determines the applicator arrangement to be aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area of skin when a magnitude of the tilt of the device is below a predetermined threshold, and determines the applicator arrangement as not safely aimed to dispense the composition to the area of skin when magnitude of the tilt of the device is above the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the processing arrangement is configured to analyze the image data to identify a shadow of at least one of the grating bars in the image and determining a length of the shadow based on the image data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein the processing arrangement is further configured to determine the applicator arrangement to be aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area of skin when the length of the shadow is below a predetermined threshold, and determine the applicator arrangement as not safely aimed to dispense the composition to the area of skin when the length of the shadow is above the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the processing arrangement is configured to adjust the image data to substitute data for portions of the image corresponding to the grating bars with data generated by the processing arrangement that approximate for skin underlying the grating bars, and to analyze the adjusted image data to identify locations within the area of skin that correspond to skin artifacts.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the processing arrangement determines whether the skin artifact is detected from the frexel based on a reflectance of the area of skin detected in the image.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the applicator arrangement comprises a nozzle configured to dispense a pressurized pulse of the composition from a reservoir to form a thin layer of the composition on the skin.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the composition is a cosmetic composition comprising particles of a reflectance modifying agent in a liquid suspension.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the reflectance modifying agent is titanium dioxide.

### Claim 11

A method for application of a composition to a skin of a face a user, comprising:
obtaining, by a detector arrangement, image data corresponding to an image of an area of the skin over which a device is placed overlaid with a plurality of grating bars of an end effector of the device;
analyzing, by a processing arrangement, the image data to determine a tilt of the device as compared to the area of the skin by analyzing the image data to identify a shadow of at least one of the grating bars in the image and analyzing the shadow to determine a three-dimensional vector corresponding to the tilt;
determining, by the processing arrangement, whether an applicator arrangement is aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area of skin based on the tilt of the device, wherein the processing arrangement determines the applicator arrangement to be aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area of skin when a magnitude of the tilt of the device is below a predetermined threshold, and determines the applicator arrangement as not safely aimed to dispense the composition to the area of skin when magnitude of the tilt of the device is above the predetermined threshold;
analyzing, by the processing arrangement, the image data to identify locations within the area of skin that correspond to skin artifacts; and
selectively applying, by the applicator arrangement, the composition to the identified locations only when the applicator arrangement is determined to be aimed to safely dispense the composition to the area of skin, wherein the applicator withholds from application of the composition to the skin when the applicator arrangement is not safely aimed to dispense the composition to the area of skin.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the processing arrangement adjusts the image data to substitute data for portions of the image corresponding to the grating bars with data generated by the processing arrangement that approximate for skin underlying the grating bars and analyzes the adjusted image data to identify locations within the area of skin that correspond to skin artifacts.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the processing arrangement identifies locations within the area of skin that correspond to skin artifacts based on a reflectance of the area of skin detected in the image.