# US 9,750,326 B2 · Transparency evaluation device, transparency evaluation method and transparency evaluation program

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- Number: US 9,750,326 B2
- Document ID: US9750326B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/955,157
- Filed: 2015-12-01
- Published: 2016-04-21
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-07
- Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Inventors: Naoko Yoshida; Ikuko Ohgaru
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750326B2

## CPC

- A45D 44/00: Other cosmetic or toiletry articles, e.g. for hairdressers' rooms
- A61B 5/1032: {Determining colour of tissue for diagnostic purposes}
- A61B 5/441: {Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis}
- G01N 21/27: using photo-electric detection (G01N21/31 takes precedence){; circuits for computing concentration (logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J)}
- A45D 2044/007: {Devices for determining the condition of hair or skin or for selecting the appropriate cosmetic or hair treatment}
- A61B 5/743: {Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots}
- A61B 2576/00: Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis (A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence)
- G01J 2003/467: {Colour computing}
- G01N 21/251: {Colorimeters; Construction thereof}
- G01N 21/57: Measuring gloss
- G16H 30/40: for processing medical images, e.g. editing
- 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
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- 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)
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA

## Abstract

A transparency evaluation device includes a skin index calculation unit that calculates at least one of a luminance component in a captured image obtained by photographing a skin, a color component in the captured image, and an amount of generation of negative factors in which the luminance component or the color component in the captured image changes locally, as a first index, obtains at least one of an intensity distribution of the luminance component and an intensity distribution of the color component in the captured image, and calculates at least one of smoothness of a change in the luminance component and smoothness of a change in the color component as a second index based on the intensity distributions, and a transparency evaluation unit that evaluates transparency of the skin based on an overall index in which the first index and the second index are combined.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transparency evaluation device comprising:
an image input processor that inputs a captured image obtained by photographing a skin of a subject;
a skin index calculation processor that calculates at least one of a representative value of a luminance component in the captured image, a representative value of a color component in the captured image, and an amount of generation of negative factors in which a value of the luminance component or a value of the color component in the captured image changes locally, as a first skin evaluation index, obtains at least one of an intensity distribution of the luminance component and an intensity distribution of the color component in the captured image, and calculates at least one of smoothness of a change in the luminance component and smoothness of a change in the color component as a second skin evaluation index based on the obtained intensity distributions;
an overall index calculation processor that combines a plurality of evaluation indexes including the first skin evaluation index and the second skin evaluation index calculated by the skin index calculation processor with one another to calculate an overall index for transparency of the skin; and
a transparency evaluation processor that evaluates transparency of the skin of the subject based on the overall index calculated by the overall index calculation processor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transparency evaluation device according to claim 1,
wherein the skin index calculation processor partitions the captured image according to the value of the luminance component and the value of the color component using a plurality of contour lines set stepwise with uniform intensity spacings in order to obtain the intensity distribution of the luminance component and the intensity distribution of the color component in the captured image.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The transparency evaluation device according to claim 2,
wherein the skin index calculation processor obtains respective spacings of the plurality of contour lines adjacent to each other, and calculates the second skin evaluation index based on uniformity of the obtained spacings of the plurality of contour lines.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The transparency evaluation device according to claim 2,
wherein the skin index calculation processor calculates the second skin evaluation index based on the number of the plurality of contour lines partitioning the captured image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The transparency evaluation device according to claim 1,
wherein the skin index calculation processor sets the evaluation region for calculating the second skin evaluation index so that a linear connection from a cheek portion of the face of the subject to an outline portion of the face is made.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The transparency evaluation device according to claim 1,
wherein the skin index calculation processor calculates an average value of the luminance component in the captured image as a representative value of the luminance component, and calculates an average value of the color component in the captured image as a representative value of the color component.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The transparency evaluation device according to claim 1,
wherein the skin index calculation processor calculates the number, a total area, or an area proportion of the negative factors detected from the captured image as an amount of generation of the negative factors.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The transparency evaluation device according to claim 1,
wherein the skin index calculation processor detects a portion in which the value of the luminance component or the value of the color component in the captured image changes locally and that is larger than the negative factors as color unevenness, and calculates an amount of generation of the detected color unevenness as a third skin evaluation index, and
the overall index calculation processor combines a plurality of evaluation indexes further including the third skin evaluation index with one another to calculate the overall index.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The transparency evaluation device according to claim 8,
wherein the skin index calculation processor calculates a total area, an area proportion, or the number of instances of color unevenness detected from the captured image as an amount of generation of the color unevenness.

### Claim 10

A transparency evaluation method comprising:
inputting a captured image obtained by photographing a skin of a subject;
calculating at least one of a representative value of a luminance component in the captured image, a representative value of a color component in the captured image, and an amount of generation of negative factors in which a value of the luminance component or a value of the color component in the captured image changes locally, as a first skin evaluation index, obtaining at least one of an intensity distribution of the luminance component and an intensity distribution of the color component in the captured image, and calculating at least one of smoothness of a change in the luminance component and smoothness of a change in the color component as a second skin evaluation index based on the obtained intensity distributions;
combining a plurality of evaluation indexes including the first skin evaluation index and the second skin evaluation index that have been calculated with one another to calculate an overall index for transparency of the skin; and
evaluating transparency of the skin of the subject based on the calculated overall index.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a transparency evaluation program for causing a computer to execute the steps of:
acquiring a captured image obtained by photographing a skin of a subject;
calculating at least one of a representative value of a luminance component in the captured image, a representative value of a color component in the captured image, and an amount of generation of negative factors in which a value of the luminance component or a value of the color component in the captured image changes locally, as a first skin evaluation index, obtaining at least one of an intensity distribution of the luminance component and an intensity distribution of the color component in the captured image, and calculating at least one of smoothness of a change in the luminance component and smoothness of a change in the color component as a second skin evaluation index based on the obtained intensity distributions;
combining a plurality of evaluation indexes including the first skin evaluation index and the second skin evaluation index that have been calculated with one another to calculate an overall index for transparency of the skin; and
evaluating transparency of the skin of the subject based on the calculated overall index.