METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THE SKIN COLOR OF A USER

• US 20140078301A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Fazzi, Alberto, Veen, Jeroen, Meftah, Mohammed
• Granted Patent: US 9,436,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/045 Newborns, e.g. premature baby monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1032 Determining colour for diagnostic purposes measuring colour in general G01J3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/00 Baby-incubators; Couveuses
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/50 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes

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

1. A system (100) for monitoring the skin color of a user (10) illuminated by a light source (101), the system comprising:

a first controlling unit for controlling the direction and/or beam size of the light source (101) to focus the light from the light source (101) on a predefined part of the user;

a capturing unit (102) for capturing at least one image of the user over a predetermined time period;

an obtaining unit (103) for obtaining motion-related information of the user over the predetermined time period;

a deriving unit for deriving visual information from the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information; and

a determining unit for determining the skin color on the basis of the visual information.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtaining unit (103) comprises:

a motion detector for obtaining the motion-related information by detecting the motion of the user.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtaining unit (103) comprises:

a processor for obtaining the motion-related information by means of image processing.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the deriving unit is adapted for selecting areas from a plurality of areas of the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information and deriving the visual information from the selected areas.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the at least one image comprises more than one image; and

the deriving unit is adapted for deriving the visual information by accumulating the visual information across the more than one image.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting unit for detecting the status of the user; and

a second controlling unit for controlling the illumination intensity of the light source (101) according to the detected status of the user.

8. A system (300) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises the light source (301); and

the light source (301) and the capturing unit (302) are integrated into at least one of the following;

mattress (20) intended to be placed under the user; and

clothing of the user.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises the light source (301); and

the light source (301) and the capturing unit (302) are attachable to the user.

6. (canceled)

10. A method of monitoring skin color of a user (10) illuminated by a light source (101), the method comprising the steps of:

controlling the direction and/or beam size of the light source (101) to focus the light from the light source (101) on a predefined part of the user;

capturing (S201) at least one image of the user over a predetermined time period;

obtaining (S202) motion-related information of the user over the predetermined time period;

deriving (S203) visual information from the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information; and

determining (S204) the skin color on the basis of the visual information.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the obtaining step (S202) comprises a sub-step of:

obtaining the motion-related information by detecting the motion of the user.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the obtaining step (S202) comprises a sub-step of:

obtaining the motion-related information by means of image processing.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the deriving step (S203) comprises the sub-steps of:

selecting areas from a plurality of areas of the at least one image on the basis of the motion-related information; and

deriving the visual information from the selected areas.

14. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

the at least one image comprises more than one images; and

the deriving step (S203) comprises a sub-step of deriving the visual information by accumulating the visual information across the more than one images.

15. A set of computer-executable instructions, configured to perform as in claim 10.