Imaging system and method for physical feature analysis

• US 7,564,990 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nu Skin International Incorporated (Nu Skin Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nu Skin International Incorporated (Nu Skin Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Morley, Jed G., Kern, Dale G., Jensen, Kurt L., Labrum, Joseph H., Lund, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US11/206,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/106, 382/108, 382/118, 382/162, 382/168, 382/219, 382181-195, 382/224, 382/232, 382/260, 382/274, 382/276, 382/305, 382313-321, 382/128, 382/254, 235/454, 600/309, 356/73, 356/66, 359/810
• US Class Current: 382/100
• 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 5/442 Evaluating skin mechanical properties, e.g. elasticity, hardness, texture, wrinkle assessment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A system for capturing and analyzing images of body features to identify treatments has a base unit with a processor and a display and an image management software component for presenting on the display a user interface to prompt a user to capture images in preselected locations on a body and to receive captured image data. The system has at least two light sources under control of the user interface that provide light following first and second light paths from the respective light sources to the plane of an imaging station, each light path having a significant portion of its light on the plane of the imaging station at a grazing angle of about ten to about thirty degrees. The first and second light paths when projected onto the plane of the imaging station intersect at an angle of at least sixty degrees. An image sensor receives light from the light sources that is reflected from the surface of a body feature located at the imaging station and produces pixel image data representing the body feature. A rating software component receives the pixel image data from the image sensor and is configured to mimic the judgment of a dermatologist to provide a rating vector representing the condition of three or more attributes of the body feature represented by the pixel image data.

Claims

1. An illumination system for use in capturing digital images of body features, where the images represent a plurality of views selected to reveal a condition of three or more attributes of those features, comprising:

a first light source;

a light baffle for receiving at an entry of a first channel light flux from the first light source;

a first reflector element associated with the first channel for receiving light from the first light source and redirecting it to the plane of an imaging station at a grazing angle of ten to thirty degrees;

a second light source, the light baffle receiving at an entry of a second channel the light flux from the second light source; and

a second reflector element associated with the second channel for receiving light from the second light source and redirecting to the plane of the imaging station at a grazing angle of ten to thirty degrees;

wherein

the first light source, light baffle and first reflector element are configured so that the imaging station receives from the first light source substantially only a flux of light that has been reflected by the first reflector element; and

wherein

the second light source, light baffle and second reflector element are configured so that the imaging station receives from the second light source substantially only a flux of light that has been reflected by the second reflector element.

2. The illumination system of claim 1, wherein the first and second light sources and their corresponding first and second reflector elements are configured such that when the vector of their respective light fluxes is projected onto the plane of the imaging station, the respective light fluxes intersect at an angle of approximately ninety degrees.

3. The illumination system of claim 1, wherein the first and second light sources and their corresponding first and second reflector elements are configured such that when the vector of their respective light fluxes is projected onto the plane of the imaging station, the respective light fluxes are approximately parallel but have opposed directions.

4. The illumination system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third light source, the light baffle receiving at an entry of a third channel the light flux from the third light source;

a third reflector element associated with the third channel for receiving light from the third light source and redirecting it to the plane of the imaging station at a grazing angle of ten to thirty degrees; and

wherein the third light source, light baffle and third reflector element are configured so that the imaging station receives from the third light source substantially only a flux of light that has been reflected by the third reflector element.

5. The illumination system of claim 4, further comprising:

a fourth light source, the light baffle receiving at an entry of a fourth channel the light flux from the fourth light source;

a fourth reflector element associated with the fourth channel for receiving light from the fourth light source and redirecting it to the plane of the imaging station at a grazing angle of ten to thirty degrees; and

wherein the fourth light source, light baffle and fourth reflector element are configured so that the imaging station receives from the fourth light source substantially only a flux of light that has been reflected by the fourth reflector element.

6. The illumination system of claim 5, wherein the third and fourth light sources and their corresponding reflector elements are configured such that when the vector of their respective light fluxes is projected onto the plane of the imaging station, the respective light fluxes intersect at an angle of approximately ninety degrees and the flux of one of the third light or fourth light sources relative to the flux of the first light source, when the vector of their respective light fluxes is projected onto the plane of the imaging station, is approximately parallel but has an opposed direction.

7. The illumination system of claim 5, wherein the first and second light sources and their corresponding reflector elements are configured such that when the vector of their respective light fluxes is projected onto the plane of the imaging station, the respective light fluxes are approximately parallel but have opposed directions and the flux of one of the third light or fourth light sources relative to the flux of the first light source, when the vector of their respective light fluxes is projected onto the plane of the imaging station, is approximately orthogonal.

8. The illumination system of claim 5 further comprising a controller configured to selectively illuminate the imaging station using one or more of the first though fourth light sources.

9. The illumination system of claim 5 further comprising a controller configured to selectively illuminate the imaging station using one of the first through fourth light sources, with the light source selected to deliver light that is generally orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of lines or wrinkles to be imaged.

10. The illumination system of claim 5 wherein at least one light source comprises at least one LED emitting substantially white visible light.

11. The illumination system of claim 5 wherein each light source comprises at least one LED emitting substantially white visible light.

12. The illumination system of claim 5 wherein at least one reflector element is a mirror.

13. The illumination system of claim 5 wherein at least one reflector element is a prism.

14. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the light baffle surrounds an optical system for receiving light reflected from a body surface area located at the imaging station.

15. The illumination system of claim 5 further comprising means for receiving from a control program for the illumination system that controls capture of a specified sequence of images signals that selectively illuminate one or more of the first through fourth light sources to provide a first illumination configuration for at least one image in the sequence of images and a second illumination configuration for at least one other image in the sequence of images.

16. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the body features relate to skin and the three or more attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

discoloration, oil/shine, lines and wrinkles, texture and pores.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the body features relate to skin and the attributes of the body features are:

discoloration, oil/shine, lines and wrinkles, texture and pores.

18. The illumination system of claim 1, further comprising a base unit with a processor and a display.

19. The illumination system of claim 18, further comprising an image management software component for presenting on the display a user interface to prompt a user to capture images in preselected locations on a body and to receive captured image data.

20. The illumination system of claim 19, wherein the first and second light sources are under the control of the user interface.

21. The illumination system of claim 20, wherein the first and second light sources provide light following first and second light paths, which when projected onto the plane of the imaging station, intersect at an angle of at least sixty degrees.

22. The illumination system of claim 21, further comprising an image sensor for receiving light from the light sources that is reflected from the surface of a body feature located at the imaging station and for producing pixel image data representing the body feature.

23. The illumination system of claim 22, further comprising a rating software component receiving the pixel image data from the image sensor and configured to mimic the judgment of a dermatologist to provide a rating vector from a set of possible rating vectors representing the condition of three or more attributes of the body feature represented by the pixel image data.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising a scoring software component for associating one or more of the possible rating vectors with a product regimen for treatment of the condition of at least one of the three or more attributes of the body feature represented by the pixel image data.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the light sources are LEDs.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the user interface has controls for selectively illuminating one or both of the first and second light sources to produce pixel image data.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the body feature located at the imaging station is skin and the three or more attributes of the body feature are selected from the group consisting of:

discoloration, oil/shine, lines and wrinkles, texture and pores.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein the body feature located at the imaging station is skin and the attributes of the body feature are:

discoloration, oil/shine, lines and wrinkles, texture and pores.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second light sources provide light following first and second light paths that when projected onto the imaging station intersect at an angle of ninety degrees.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second light sources provide light following first and second light paths that when projected onto the imaging station are approximately parallel but have opposite directions.

31. The system of claim 19 wherein the image management software prompts a user to take a specified sequence of at least five different images of body features of a subject.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein data from the five different images and a full facial image are combined in a subject profile.

33. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one light source has a light path that comprises an optical element to induce polarization.

34. The system of claim 22 wherein the light sources and the image sensor are part of an optics imaging attachment that is selectively connectable to and removable from the base unit.

35. A method for scoring a multidimensional body feature analysis for a subject, comprising using a processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a set of scores Ni derived from image data and representing the condition of the subject'"'"'s body feature as to three or more attributes (i);

defining for a set of three or more treatment products (p) and for each of the three or more attributes a set of scoring weights Wip;

computing for each set of three or more treatment products a product-adjusted set of scores ANip, by applying the scoring weights Wip for each treatment product to the set of scores Ni for the three or more attributes;

mapping each of the possible scores Ni for each of the three or more attributes into a value on a rating scale ranging across at least three possible values Ci;

building a table for product recommendations, by associating with at least a plurality of the possible combinations of values on the rating scale a recommendation identifying one of the three or more treatment products; and

mapping the scores Ni of the subject into a set of values {C1, C2, C3 . . . } for the three or more attributes and finding the corresponding product recommendation in the table for product recommendations.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

receiving from the subject a self-reporting response providing data relative to the subject'"'"'s body feature; and

responsive to the self-reporting response, adjusting at least one of the product-adjusted set of scores ANip.

37. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

receiving from the subject a self-reporting response providing data relative to the subject from at least two alternatives; and

responsive to the self-reporting response, selecting a product recommendation without regard to any of the set of values {C1, C2, C3 . . . }.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

defining a self-reporting response providing data relative to the subject from at least two alternatives; and

building into the table for product recommendations logic responsive to the alternatives in the self reporting response, whereby at least one of the two alternatives is logically associated with a product recommendation without regard to any of the set of values {C1, C2, C3 . . . }.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein the body feature is skin and the three or more attributes of skin are three attributes selected from the group consisting of:

discoloration, oil/shine, lines and wrinkles, texture and pores.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein the body feature is skin and the three or more attributes of skin are the following five attributes:

discoloration, oil/shine, lines and wrinkles, texture and pores.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein the body feature is hair and the three or more attributes of hair are selected from the group consisting of:

shine, cuticle size, angle of cuticle relative to hair shaft and hair shaft diameter.

42. A method for scoring a multidimensional body feature analysis for a subject, comprising using a processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a set of scores Ni derived from image data and representing the condition of the subject'"'"'s body feature as to three or more attributes (i);

defining for a set of three or more treatment products (p) and for each of the three or more attributes a set of scoring weights Wip;

computing for each set of three or more treatment products a product-adjusted set of scores ANip, by applying the scoring weights Wip for each treatment product to the set of scores Ni for the three or more attributes;

receiving from the subject a self-reporting response providing data relative to the subject'"'"'s body feature; and

responsive to the self-reporting response, adjusting at least one of the product-adjusted set of scores ANip;

wherein

the self reporting response is a value on a scale ranging across at least three values; and

the amount of adjustment to the at least one of the product-adjusted set of scores ANip is responsive to the differing values on the scale.

43. A method for scoring a multidimensional body feature analysis for a subject, comprising using a processor to perform the steps of;

receiving a set of scores Ni derived from image data and representing the condition of the subject'"'"'s body feature as to three or more attributes (i);

defining for a set of three or more treatment products (p) and for each of the three or more attributes a set of scoring weights Wip; and

computing for each set of three or more treatment products a product-adjusted set of scores ANip, by applying the scoring weights Wip for each treatment product to the set of scores Ni for the three or more attributes;

wherein

the scores ANip are product-adjusted normalized scores, the method further comprising;

responsive to the self-reporting response, making a treatment product selection; and

responsive to the product selection response, reporting to the subject one product-adjusted normalized score ANip from the set of adjusted normalized scores ANip associated with the treatment product selection.