Electric shaver with imaging capability

• US 10,500,741 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: May Patents Ltd.
• Original Assignee: May Patents Ltd.
• Inventors: Binder, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phong H
• Application Number:
  US13/893,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,401 Days
• Field of Search: 348164, 348174
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 26/00 Hair-singeing apparatus; Apparatus for removing superfluous hair, e.g. tweezers removing hair using electrosurgical instruments A61B18/04, A61B18/18
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/00 Clippers or shavers operating with a plurality of cutting edges, e.g. hair clippers, dry shavers
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/3806 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/382 Built-in accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/3853 Housing or handle
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/3873 Electric features; Charging; Computing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/388 Sensors; Control
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/46 providing for illuminating the area to be shaved or clipped
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/48 Accessory implements for carrying out a function other than cutting hair, e.g. attachable appliances for manicuring massage means per se A61H7/00 - A61H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 21/405 Electric features; Charging; Computing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 : Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 : Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 : Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 : for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 : Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 : Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 : for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 : Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/709 : Circuitry for control of the power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 : Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 : Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/30 : Transforming light or analogous information into electric information scanning details H04N3/00; cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00; circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS] or control thereof H04N25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/015 : High-definition television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

System and method for improving the shaving experience by providing improved visibility of the skin shaving area. A digital camera is integrated with the electric shaver for close image capturing of shaving area, and displaying it on a display unit. The display unit can be integral part of the electric shaver casing, or housed in a separated device which receives the image via a communication channel. The communication channel can be wireless (using radio, audio or light) or wired, such as dedicated cabling or using powerline communication. A light source is used to better illuminate the shaving area. Video compression and digital image processing techniques are used for providing for improved shaving results. The wired communication medium can simultaneously be used also for carrying power from the electric shaver assembly to the display unit, or from the display unit to the electric shaver.

Claims

1. A device for capturing a non-visible image and for identifying an element in the image, the device comprising:

a digital camera for capturing an image in a non-visible spectrum, said digital camera comprising an output for outputting a digital signal carrying a representation of the captured image;

a digital image processor coupled to said digital camera for receiving said digital signal for receiving and processing the captured image, said digital image processor is operative to identify one or more elements in the captured image;

a cellular antenna for transmitting a wireless signal over the air in a cellular network;

a cellular transceiver coupled between said cellular antenna and said digital camera output for transmitting the wireless signal that is based on a representation of the captured image;

a display for visually displaying information, and wherein said display is coupled to said output for displaying a visual image based on the captured image; and

a single casing housing said digital camera, said digital image processor, said cellular antenna, said display, and said cellular transceiver,

wherein the device is further operative to generate a digital data representation of the captured image wherein all the identified elements are marked, and

wherein said display is coupled to said digital image processor for displaying the marked identified elements.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said single casing is a handheld casing, and the device further comprising a battery in said single casing for powering the device.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cellular network and the wireless signal use, or based on, 2.5G or 3G, and wherein the device is part of a cellular telephone handset.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cellular network and the wireless signal substantially conforms to, or based on, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), 3GSM, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), Digital AMPS according to IS-136/TDMA, iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network), EVDO (Evolution Data Only), UMTS, DCS, or PCS.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the non-visible spectrum is in an infrared or ultraviolet spectrum.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a shaver for removing hair from a human skin.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said shaver is an electrically operated shaver comprising an electric motor and a cutter driven by said electric motor.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said digital image processor is operative to identify an element having a different temperature in the captured image.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said digital image processor is operative to identify an element based on a distinct infrared signature of the element.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said digital image processor is operative to identify plurality of elements in the captured image.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of elements have a same characteristic.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of elements are of the same type.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the captured image includes part of a human body.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the captured image includes part of a human skin.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said digital image processor is operative to identify individual hairs or a hairy area in the captured image.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein said display is coupled to said output for displaying a visual image based on the captured image.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein said display comprises a flat screen and is silicon-based.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said flat screen is LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) based.

19. The device according to claim 1, wherein said digital image processor comprises software and a processor for executing said software.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein said digital image processor further operative for at least one out of:

adjusting color balance, gamma or luminance;

filtering pattern noise;

filtering noise using Wiener filter;

zooming;

changing zoom factors;

recropping;

applying enhancement filters;

applying smoothing filters;

applying subject-dependent filters;

applying coordinate transformations; and

applying mathematical algorithms to generate greater pixel density, adjusting color balance, contrast and/or luminance.

21. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to said output for storing at least part of the captured image representation.

22. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a light source for providing an illumination.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein said light source is mechanically mounted for illumination of at least part of the captured image.

24. The device according to claim 22, wherein said light source is a LED (Light Emitting Diode).

25. The device according to claim 22, wherein said light source is operative to emit light in the non-visible spectrum.

26. The device according to claim 1, wherein said digital camera is a digital video camera further comprising a processor for generating a digital data video signal carrying digital video data comprising the captured image according to a digital video format.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the digital video format is according to, or based on, one out of:

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), RAW format, AVI, DV, MOV, WMV, MP4, DCF (Design Rule for Camera Format), ITU-T H.261, ITU-T H.263, ITU-T H.264, ITU-T CCIR 601, ASF, Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format) and DP*OF (Digital Print Order Format) standards.

28. The device according to claim 1, further operative to compress the captured image representation, the device further comprising a video compressor coupled between said digital camera and said cellular transceiver for compressing the captured image representation.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein the compression is based on intraframe or interframe compression, and wherein the compression is lossy or non-lossy.

30. The device according to claim 28, wherein the compression is according to, or based on, a standard compression algorithm which is one out of JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), ITU-T H.261, ITU-T H.263, ITU-T H.264, and ITU-T CCIR 601.