# US 9,436,873 B2 · Method and system for monitoring the skin color of a user > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,873 B2 - Document ID: US9436873B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/117,688 - Filed: 2012-05-25 - Published: 2014-03-20 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-31 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Applicants: Alberto Fazzi; Jeroen Veen; Mohammed Meftah - Inventors: Alberto Fazzi; Jeroen Veen; Mohammed Meftah - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436873B2 ## CPC - G06V 20/20: in augmented reality scenes - A61B 5/0059: {using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455)} - A61B 5/1032: {Determining colour of tissue for diagnostic purposes} - A61B 5/441: {Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis} - G01J 3/50: using electric radiation detectors - G06T 7/20: Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) - A61B 2503/045: Newborns, e.g. premature baby monitoring - A61G 11/00: Baby-incubators; Couveuses - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) ## Abstract This invention relates to a method and a system for monitoring skin color of a user. The system comprises a capturing unit, an obtaining unit, a deriving unit and a determining unit. The capturing unit captures at least one image of the user over a predetermined time period, and the obtaining unit obtains motion-related information of the user over the predetermined time period. The deriving unit derives visual information from the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information, and the determining unit determines the skin color on the basis of the derived visual information. In this way, the skin color of the user can be effectively monitored without exposing the user to strong environmental light. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for monitoring the skin color of a user, the system comprising: a light source configured to emit light to illuminate skin of the user; a first controller configured to control at least one of a direction and a beam size of the light source to focus the light from the light source on a predefined part of the user; a capturing device configured to capture at least one image of the user over a predetermined time period, the predetermined time period being determined by at least one of the direction and the beam size of the light emitted from the light source; an obtaining device configured to obtain motion-related information of the user over the predetermined time period; and one or more processors programmed to: derive visual information from the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information; and determine the skin color on the basis of the visual information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtaining device comprises: a motion detector configured to obtain the motion-related information by detecting the motion of the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtaining device comprises: a processor programmed to obtain the motion-related information by image processing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the one or more processor is programmed to: select areas from a plurality of areas of the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information; and derive from the selected areas information from the at least one image based on the obtained motion-related information to determine one or more distorted portions and one or more non-distorted portions in the at least one image caused by motion of the user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the at least one image comprises more than one image; and the one or more processor is programmed to derive the visual information by accumulating the visual information across the more than one image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a detector configured to detect a status of the user; and a second controller configured to control the illumination intensity of the light source according to the detected status of the user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the light source and the capturing device are integrated into at least one of: a mattress configured to be placed under the user; and clothing configured to be worn by the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the light source and the capturing device are configured to be attachable to the user. ### Claim 9 A method of monitoring skin color of a user illuminated by a light source, the method comprising: with a first controller, controlling the direction and/or beam size of the light source to focus the light from the light source on a predefined part of the user; with a capturing device, capturing at least one image of the user over a predetermined time period, the predetermined time period being determined by at least one of the direction and the beam size of the light emitted from the light source; with an obtaining device, obtaining motion-related information of the user over the predetermined time period; with one or more processors, deriving visual information from the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information; and with the one or more processors, determining the skin color on the basis of the visual information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the obtaining further includes: obtaining the motion-related information by detecting the motion of the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the obtaining further includes: obtaining the motion-related information by image processing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the deriving further includes: selecting areas from a plurality of areas of the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information; and deriving from the selected areas visual information from the at least one image based on the obtained motion-related information to determine one or more distorted portions and one or more non-distorted portions in the at least one image caused by motion of the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein: the at least one image comprises more than one images; and the deriving further includes deriving the visual information by accumulating the visual information across the more than one images. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) A set of computer-executable instructions, configured to perform the method of claim 9. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising: with a detector, detecting a status of the user; and with a second controller, controlling the illumination intensity of the light source according to the detected status of the user. ### Claim 16 An apparatus for monitoring skin color, the apparatus comprising: a light source configured to emit light to illuminate skin of a user; a first lighting controller configured to control the intensity of the emitted light by adjusting at least one of a direction and a beam size of the light source to focus the emitted light on a predefined part of the user; an optical camera configured to capture at least one image of at least a portion of the predefined part of the user over a predetermined time period, the predetermined time period being inversely proportional to the light intensity of the emitted light; an infrared camera configured to obtain motion-related information of the user over the predetermined time period; and at least one processor programmed to: derive visual information from the at least one image based on the obtained motion-related information to determine one or more distorted portions and one or more non-distorted portions in the at least one image that is captured by the optical camera caused by motion of the user; and determine the skin color based on the one or more non-distorted portions in the at least one image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein infrared camera includes at least one of: a motion detector configured to obtain the motion-related information by detecting motion of the user; and wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to obtain the motion-related information by analyzing the at least one image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to: select at least one area from a plurality of areas of the at least one image based on the obtained motion-related information; and derive the one or more distorted portions and one or more non-distorted portions in the at least one image from the selected areas. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further including: a detector configured to detect a status of the user, the status including at least one of open eyes, closed eyes, blinking, and eye movement of the user; and an adjustable shutter controller configured to control the illumination intensity of the light source responsive to the detected status of the user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, further including: an electrophysiological monitor configured to detect at least one of electroencephalogram signals and electrooculargram signals, the electroencephalogram signals and electrooculargram signals being indicative of the status of the user.