Light-based shielding detection
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsSerhan O. Isikman, Brian R. Land, Erno H. Klaassen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a sunscreen detector for use with portable device, such as a mobile and/or wearable device. One variation of a sunscreen detector comprises an illumination system that is configured to illuminate a target skin area with ultraviolet and/or infrared spectrum light and a sensor system that is configured to detect the amount of ultraviolet and/or infrared spectrum light that is reflected from the target skin area. The sunscreen detector is configured to analyze the data collected by the sensor system to generate a notification to the user as to whether they should apply sunscreen.
Claims20
A sunscreen detector, comprising:
- an illumination system configured to emit UV light, included in a UV illumination field, and IR light, included in an IR illumination field;
- a sensor system, the sensor system configured to:
- detect at least a portion of the UV light and the IR light at a sensor field located within the UV illumination field and the IR illumination field,
- generate a UV signal associated with the detected UV light, and
- generate an IR signal associated with the detected IR light;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- receive the UV signal and the IR signal from the sensor system,
- compare the UV signal to a UV threshold,
- compare the IR signal to an IR threshold, and
- output a first output signal when the IR signal is above the IR threshold and the UV signal is below the UV threshold.
A method for detecting sunscreen coverage, comprising:
- positioning a detector over a target skin region;
- moving the detector across the target skin region;
- emitting UV light and IR light;
- detecting at least a portion of the emitted UV light and the emitted IR light at a sensor field located within a UV illumination field and an IR illumination field;
- generating a UV signal indicative of the detected UV light;
- generating an IR signal indicative of the detected IR light;
- receiving the UV signal and the IR signal from the sensor system;
- comparing the IR signal to an IR threshold value;
- comparing the UV signal to a UV threshold value;
- outputting an output signal based on the comparisons;
- and
- generating an alert based on the output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.