US 8,942,775 B2Granted

Handheld apparatus and method for the automated application of cosmetics and other substances

AssigneeTCMS Transparent Beauty LLC

InventorsAlbert D. Edgar, David C. Iglehart, Rick B. Yeager

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An applicator head is provided for a reflectance modifying agent (RMA) applicator is moved across the skin by means of a floating ring having dispersed raised contact points to maintain a proper distance from the surface to be treated, reduce the influence of outside light during scanning, and limit smudging during deposition. During an application session, software on the computer uses a camera to sense aspects of color and texture on human features, calculates cosmetic enhancements, and uses the printer head to apply RMA precisely to the features to create those enhancements. Skin landmarks are used for registration. The head uses differential lighting by providing a sequence of directional lighting, with some exposures left dark to adjust for ambient light leakage. The exposures are co-synchronized in stacks, where each stack is a grouping of data about a particular instant of time during the scanning.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A handheld device, comprising:

an applicator for applying one or more reflectance modifying agent (RMAs), the applicator being configured to reduce outside light from entering around a base of the applicator that comprises edges in contact with an area of skin;
a plurality of light sources, each light source being positioned within the applicator and above the base of the applicator, in a respective direction to selectively illuminate the area of skin;
a camera for generating images of the area of skin;
and
a computing environment coupled to the applicator and the camera, the computing environment being configured to:
select an aim color,
selectively activate light sources of the plurality of light sources to provide a lighting cycle comprising a plurality of lighting modes, the plurality of lighting modes comprising a first lighting mode comprising deactivation of all of the plurality of light sources and a second-lighting mode comprising activation of at least one of the plurality of light sources,
selectively activate the camera to generate a plurality of images of the area of skin, each image corresponding to reflective properties of the area of skin associated with a respective lighting mode of the plurality of lighting modes while the applicator reduces outside light from illuminating the area of skin,
process the plurality of images to determine an amount of ambient light leaking under edges of the applicator during the first lighting mode and subtracting the amount of ambient light from a subset of the plurality of images corresponding to the second lighting mode,
calculate cosmetic enhancements to the area of skin based on the processing,
determine a position of the handheld device relative to the area of skin based on the processing, and
transmit a signal to the applicator for applying the one or more RMAs to the area of skin based on the cosmetic enhancements to achieve the aim color.

9 more elements

A method of providing cosmetic enhancements to an area of skin, the method comprising:

selectively activating a plurality of light sources provided in a handheld device, the handheld device being configured to reduce outside light entering around a base of the handheld device that comprises edges in contact with the area of skin, each light source being positioned within the handheld device and above the base of the handheld device, in a respective direction to selectively illuminate an area of skin and being selectively activated to provide a lighting cycle comprising a plurality of lighting modes, the plurality of lighting modes comprising a first lighting mode comprising deactivation of all of the plurality of light sources and a second lighting mode-comprising activation of at least one of the plurality of light sources, while the outside light to illuminate the area of skin is reduced;
generating a plurality of images of the area of skin using a camera provided in the handheld device, each image corresponding to reflective properties of the area of skin associated with a respective lighting mode of the plurality of lighting modes;
selecting, using a computing environment, an aim color;
processing, using the computing environment, the plurality of images to determine an amount of ambient lighting leaking under edges of the applicator during the first lighting mode and subtracting the amount of ambient lighting from a subset of the plurality of images corresponding to the second lighting mode;
calculating, using the computing environment, cosmetic enhancements to the area of skin based on the processing;
determining, using the computing environment, a position of the handheld device relative to the area of skin based on the processing;
and
transmitting a signal to an applicator for applying one or more reflectance modifying agents (RMAs) to the area of skin based on the cosmetic enhancements to achieve the aim color.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/019,462Filed 2 Feb 2011 · continuation
Priority: 11 Feb 2008
Published: US 2011/0124989 A126 May 2011
Granted: 27 Jan 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

A45D 44/005
Other cosmetic or toiletry articles, e.g. for hairdressers' rooms: for selecting or displaying personal cosmetic colours or hairstyle
A45D 34/041
Appliances specially adapted for applying liquid, e.g. using roller or ball: using a roller, a disc or a ball
A45D
Hairdressing or shaving equipment

Family

Application12/028,835Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Feb 2008
US 2011/0124989 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 May 2011
US 7,890,152 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2008/0193195 A1Published application
US 8,942,775 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.