Moisture sensor for skin

• US 20060248946A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Tong, Peter P., Thomas, C. Douglass, Howell, Thomas A., Hadiwidjaja, Angeline
• Granted Patent: US 8,118,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/73
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/443 Evaluating skin constituents, e.g. elastin, melanin, water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/56 by investigating moisture content
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825

Abstract

A moisture sensor for skin is disclosed. With the moisture sensor, a user can determine that her skin is too dry, and can conveniently apply a skin-care product. In addition, in one embodiment, the sensor can assist in identifying different types of skin-care products to apply. As one example, a skin-care product is a type of lotion. As another example, a skin-care product is a type of shampoo.

Claims

1. A handheld moisture sensor for the skin of a user, comprising:

a sensor head on a printed circuit board configured to provide an indication regarding skin moisture level of the user, by applying the sensor head on the skin of the user;

an output device connected to the printed circuit board;

an electronic controller on the printed circuit board, the controller being configured or designed to at least generate an output for the output device based on the indication from the sensor head; and

a power source connected to the printed circuit board to provide power at least to the controller and the output device.

2. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor head includes at least two conducting lines adjacent to each other for capacitance measurement.

3. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the moisture sensor provides a piece of information regarding the application of a skin-care product to the skin of the user.

4. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 3 wherein the skin-care product is lotion.

5. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor is incorporated into one of the following:

a pen, a phone, a key chain, and lipstick container.

6. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor is in the shape of one of the following:

a nail file, a lipstick container, and a mascara container.

7. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one electrical component in the sensor is electrically coupled to at least one electrical component in a bottle.

8. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the output device includes a display.

9. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 8, wherein the display displays an advertisement.

10. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the output device includes a speaker.

11. A moisture sensor as recited in claim 1

wherein the sensor head includes an application surface that touches the skin to be measured, and

wherein the printed circuit board is flexible to allow the application surface of the sensor head to better conform to the curvature of the skin surface being measured.

12. A moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor includes an electrical connector.

13. A moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a wireless transmitter.

14. A moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the output device provides an indication when the skin measurement is accomplished.

15. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor head includes a constant force mechanism, which is configured to maintain a constant force when the sensor head is applied or pressed onto the surface to be measured.

16. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor includes a plurality of settings, each for one type of skin to allow the sensor to be personalized to the skin type of the user.

17. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 3 wherein the skin-care product is shampoo, and the skin to be measured is the scalp of the user.

18. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 17, wherein the sensor head includes a plurality of fingers, and each finger has at least two conducting lines adjacent to each other, with the lines covered by an insulating material, for capacitance measurement.

19. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein the sensor provides a recommendation to the user regarding the user'"'"'s skin based on the measurements by the sensor and based on another piece of information from an additional sensor, which measures an attribute different from the attribute measured by the sensor head.

20. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 19, wherein the additional sensor is a humidity sensor.

21. A handheld moisture sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor head includes an infrared emitter and an infrared detector.